Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Keep Schools Closed: Researchers Warn About Children's Potential Role In Transmitting COVID-19
The New York Times: New Studies Add To Evidence That Children May Transmit The Coronavirus
Among the most important unanswered questions about Covid-19 is this: What role do children play in keeping the pandemic going? Fewer children seem to get infected by the coronavirus than adults, and most of those who do have mild symptoms, if any. But do they pass the virus on to adults and continue the chain of transmission? The answer is key to deciding whether and when to reopen schools, a step that President Trump urged states to consider before the summer. (Mandavilli, 5/5)
The New York Times: What Is Kawasaki Disease? Children And Ailment Related To Coronavirus
One child, 8 years old, arrived at a Long Island hospital near death last week. His brother, a boy scout, had begun performing chest compressions before the ambulance crew reached their home. In the past two days alone, the hospital, Cohen Children’s Medical Center, has admitted five critically ill patients — ages 4 to 12 — with an unusual sickness that appears to be somehow linked to Covid-19, the disease caused by coronavirus. In total, about 25 similarly ill children have been admitted there in recent weeks with symptoms ranging from reddened tongues to enlarged coronary arteries. (Goldstein and Belluck, 5/5)
