Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Pediatrician Group In California Faults Reopening Plans For Schools, Calls For In-Person Instruction
Los Angeles Times: Pediatricians Say Kids Should Be In School Despite Coronavirus Risk
The damage done by keeping children out of school might outweigh the risks of COVID-19 transmission, a regional organization of pediatricians said Tuesday, pushing back against educators who have cautioned against reopening campuses too soon. The Southern California chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics, which represents about 1,500 doctors, issued a statement pointing to research suggesting that the risks of COVID-19 transmission among children are lower than for adults, but that keeping children away from in-person instruction for longer will have negative consequences. (Kohli, 6/3)
CNN: Fauci Weighs The Pros And Cons Of Reopening Schools This Fall Amid Covid-19
The idea of keeping schools closed in the fall because of safety concerns for children might be "a bit of a reach," said Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. In a phone interview with CNN Wednesday, Fauci noted that children tend to have milder symptoms or even no symptoms when they are infected with Covid-19. What's not yet clear is whether children get infected as frequently as adults, and whether they often pass the infection on to others. Ultimately, he said, the decision to reopen schools needs to be predicated on the level of infection in each community. (Grayer, 6/3)
ABC News: Reopening Schools In The Fall, An Experiment For College And University Leaders
With the fall semester approaching, college and university leadership are weighing the risks and benefits of reopening schools. Without a cure or viable vaccine for COVID-19, universities are exploring a range of options, each bearing a hefty price tag and set of compromises. Of 780 colleges tracked by the Chronicle of Higher Education, 67% are planning for in-person classes, 6% online, 7% are proposing a hybrid model, 9% are waiting to decide and the other 11% are considering a range of scenarios. (Taghipour, 6/4)
