Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Kids Who Get Covid Are At Higher Risk Of Developing Diabetes: Study
ABC News: Study Finds COVID-19 May Increase Risk Of Diabetes In Kids
Kids who have recovered from COVID-19 may have an increased risk of developing diabetes, according to a new study from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The study, which looked at databases with information for over 2.5 million patients under 18, found that children diagnosed with COVID-19 were about 2.5 times more likely to receive a new diabetes diagnosis a month or more after infection. (Kindelan, 1/12)
CIDRAP: Global Study Notes Risk Factors For Uncommon Severe COVID-19 In Kids
A 10-country study of more than 3,000 children who tested positive for COVID-19 in emergency departments (EDs) finds that 3% went on to develop severe disease within 2 weeks, with risk factors being older age, having chronic conditions, and experiencing symptoms longer. The study was published yesterday in JAMA Network Open. (Wappes, 1/12)
Child vaccinations have not picked up —
USA Today: Less Than 20% Of Elementary Students Are Vaccinated
Just over 17% of U.S. children ages 5 to 11 were fully vaccinated as of Tuesday, more than two months after shots for the age group became available, according to an Associated Press report. Vermont is at 48% while Mississippi is only at 5%. Vaccinations among elementary school kids surged after the shots were introduced in the fall, but the numbers have crept up slowly since as omicron’s explosive spread appears to have had little effect. The low rates are “very disturbing,’’ said Dr. Robert Murphy, executive director for the Institute for Global Health at Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine. Hospitalizations of children under 18 have climbed to their highest levels on record in the past few weeks. (Bacon, Ortiz and Tebor, 1/12)
NBC News: Child Covid Vaccinations Off To Uneven Start As Southern States Lag
Two months after children ages 5 to 11 became eligible for Covid-19 shots, vaccination rates are lagging in Southern states. Nationally, more than 1 in 4 of the roughly 29 million children ages 5 to 11 have received their first shot, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. But in Mississippi, Alabama and Louisiana, that rate is closer to 1 in 10. (Ramos, 1/12)
In more news about kids and schools —
The Washington Post: New York City High School Students Stage Walkout Over Covid Measures
Students walked out of schools across New York City around lunchtime on Tuesday to protest what many called inadequate protections against the coronavirus — and to demand an option for remote learning until they improve. It’s the latest flash point in an ongoing debate over in-person versus remote learning that has seen new life with the unprecedented surge in coronavirus cases driven by the omicron variant. (Timsit, 1/13)
Oklahoman: Oklahoma City Public Schools To Close Districtwide Over COVID-19
Oklahoma City Public Schools, the state's second-largest traditional district, will close all its schools for the rest of the week because too many employees are out with COVID-19. Superintendent Sean McDaniel announced the closures Wednesday afternoon. Students finished school in person on Wednesday and will complete online assignments from home Thursday and Friday. McDaniel said the district has been reassigning staff and hiring substitutes to cover as many classes as possible, but Oklahoma City schools can no longer maintain a safe and meaningful learning environment. "This is a manpower issue, and we are simply out of options," McDaniel said. (Martinez-Keel, 1/12)
Mississippi Clarion Ledger: COVID-19 Spike Leaves Thousands Of Mississippi Students Quarantined
The week most Mississippi schools returned after winter break, thousands of students were out because of the coronavirus' resurgence. Of 633 schools reporting from 66 of Mississippi's 82 counties, there were 3,854 new COVID-19 cases in Mississippi students statewide from Jan. 3 to 7, according to the Mississippi State Department of Health's report Tuesday. The last report, spanning Dec. 13 to 17, showed 292 students with a new COVID-19 infection. In between the two time periods, the COVID-19 omicron variant began spiking daily cases to record-high counts and driving up hospitalization rates. (Haselhorst, 1/12)
The Dallas Morning News: D.C. Delegate Says Ted Cruz’s Effort To Block District’s Student Vaccine Mandate ‘Crosses The Line’
Eleanor Holmes Norton has a message for Texas Sen. Ted Cruz and other Republicans in Congress seeking to derail vaccine mandates in the District of Columbia: Butt out. Norton, D.C.’s longtime delegate to the U.S. House, said the effort by Cruz “crosses the line” and interferes with local control. (Caldwell, 1/12)
