Coronavirus cases rising among US children as schools reopen
- Covid-19 transmission may be taking place at play dates, sleepovers, sports and other activities rather than in classrooms, experts say
- Children of all ages now make up 10 per cent of all US cases, up from 2 per cent in April
Keen to send the nation’s children back to reopened schools, US President Donald Trump has called them “virtually immune,” “essentially immune” and “almost immune” to the coronavirus that causes Covid-19.
But a new report by researchers from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) underscores how wrong those assertions are.
Children can catch, suffer and die from the coronavirus, according to the report. Between March 1 and September 19, at least 277,285 schoolchildren in 38 states tested positive for the virus.
And 51 of them – including 20 youngsters five to 11 years old – died of Covid-19. In all, 3,189 children ages five to 17 were hospitalised.
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Worldwide Covid-19 death toll surpasses 1 million
After preying heavily on the elderly in the spring, the coronavirus is increasingly infecting American children and teens in a trend authorities say appears driven by school reopenings and the resumption of sports, play dates and other activities.
