The number of Covid-19 contaminations of children in the United States more than doubled during the summer. A phenomenon that no one explains and which goes against received ideas. Despite this observation, the American Academy of Pediatrics maintains that schools must be reopened according to the local health context.
- Between May 21 and August 20, the number of contaminations among children in the USA increased by 720%
- Despite this deterioration in indicators, children remain statistically less affected and develop less severe forms of Covid-19
- The American Academy of Pediatrics maintains that it is still necessary to reopen classes in “potentially safe” places
What if children transmit more Covid-19 than we thought? This is the conclusion reached by the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP). On a database of the rate of contamination, hospitalization and death of children in each state of the United States, she finds that these figures are increasing much faster in them than in the rest of the population. While the data isn’t entirely reliable—some states lump children under 24 together or don’t separate children from teens—the facts seem to be well established. “Anyone who has been on the front line in a children’s hospital can say that we have cared for many very sick children.confirms Dr. Sean O’Leary, vice-chairman of the AAP’s infectious disease committee. Yes, cases are less severe in children than in adults, but it’s not completely mild.“
How to explain this higher increase in children of contamination, hospitalization and death? In the pages of the New York Times, the doctor assures us that it is “obvious” that minors are more infected now than at the beginning of the year. Compared to a base of 100 on May 21, the number of cases increased by +270% on August 20 for the entire US population, including +720% among children. Ditto for the number of hospitalizations where the general increase is “only” +122% and that of the youngest +356%. As for deaths, it increased by +115% in society as a whole and +229% for minors. According to the East Coast newspaper, infant cases accounted for 5% of all documented cases in May, and today, August 20, they account for 9% of cases.
Debate on the reopening of schools in person
There as here, the question of the start of the school year divides. Some lawyers have managed to reopen establishments on the likelihood of lower transmission among children. A belief shared by the President of the United States, Donald Trump, who has spoken out in favor of the complete opening of schools and affirmed in videos on social networks that children “are virtually immune“. These posts have been censored by Facebook and Twitter in the name of fighting misinformation.
However, according to the New York Times, while many American experts are convinced that the virus was transmitted by adults, the newspaper affirms that summer camps and schools seem to have proven that transmission can also occur via children. Doctors found that at a summer camp in Georgia where hundreds of people were infected, nearly 76% of campers and staff – whose results were available – were infected with Covid-19. The newspaper says the number of infections was higher among camps with younger participants between the ages of 6 and 10.
Children remain less contaminating
How to explain this increase in cases among the youngest and the strongest infection in this summer camp? Statistics not sufficiently refined or lax on barrier gestures among the youngest? No pediatrician contacted by the American newspaper answers this question. However a study published in June in Nature assured that those under 20 were approximately half the chance of contracting the virus than their elders. According to the New York Times, this statistic is validated by data from all states as of August 26. And according to the newspaper, it would seem that this statistic is also true between the 10-19 year olds and the under 10s who are therefore the population least statistically affected.
However, despite the doubling of the number of children infected since the last recommendations of the AAP last June, American doctors assure that schools must reopen. “There are still many places where it is potentially safe to reopen schools even knowing that children can be infected and sometimes they can be severely infected.“says Dr. Sean O’Leary. Pediatrician William Raszka, an expert in infectious diseases at the University of Vermont, is worried about a return to school in areas with high viral loads and especially in states where neither the wearing of a mask , nor respect for barrier gestures is mandatory.When there is a high prevalence rate [NDLR : du virus] in the locality and you open the schools, there will be a lot of transmissions in the schools“he asserts.
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