In a new report, it has been revealed that over 97,000 children in the United States tested positive for the coronavirus during the last two weeks of July. Published by the American Academy of Pediatrics and the Children's Hospital Association, the report reveals that there has been a 40 percent increase in cases of COVID-19 among children as many states reopen schools or prepare to reopen.
Using publicly reported data from 49 states, the compiled results show that most states aren't exactly ready to send children back to school. However, many schools have already reopened, with North Paulding High School in Georgia facing particular scrutiny after a photo showed a packed hallway with most students not wearing masks or social distancing. Since then, nine people at North Paulding have tested positive, with six of them being students and the other three members of staff.
A large number of states are aiming to reopen the schools, but some have expedited the process. New York City has the nation's largest school district and won't be reopening just yet; Mayor Bill de Blasio recently suggested that officials have "worked incessantly to get this right." Florida, meanwhile, has one the worst infection rates in the country right now, but that hasn't stopped the state from planning to reopen schools across 12 counties this week.
Since the pandemic started, a total of 338,000 of the 5 million confirmed cases in the United States have beenchildren. This new research is the latest report to decisively debunk Donald Trump's claim that children are "virtually immune" to the virus. He made these comments last week during a press briefing, saying children "have stronger immune systems than we do" and ignoring that over 25 children died from COVID-19 in July alone.
