“Anyone who has been on the front lines of this pandemic in a children’s hospital can tell you we’ve taken care of lots of kids that are very sick”
The US has seen a huge rise in coronavirus cases among children, in a report published today, just ahead of the UK government sending children back to school from this week.
Even more worryingly, the number of hospitalisations and deaths among children has risen far faster than among the general population:
The statistics, which run from 21 May to 20 August, show hospitalisations among children have more than quadrupled among children – up by 356% – compared to a little more than doubling among the general population. Child deaths from the virus have more than tripled, compared to a similar just over double among adults.
The rises in hospitalisations and deaths mean that the increase is not merely a consequence of higher testing rates catching more people with the virus.
Dr. Sean O’Leary, vice chairman of the American Academy of Pediatrics’ committee on infectious diseases, told the New York Times:
Anyone who has been on the front lines of this pandemic in a children’s hospital can tell you we’ve taken care of lots of kids that are very sick. Yes, it’s less severe in children than adults, but it’s not completely benign.
The paper also notes that at a summer camp that saw hundreds catch the virus, more than three-quarters of children and adults whose test results were available had tested positive – and children in the 6-10 age bracket were most likely to be infected.
Children who catch the virus at school are not safe from the consequences of the disease and the prevalence of serious complications has increased – but even those who do not become seriously ill are likely to pass the virus to older, vulnerable relatives and contacts.
Studies in France, Germany and Australia have shown that children are just as likely to catch and transmit the virus as adults, that the virus can spread rapidly in schools and that many children become infected without detection.
COVID-related ‘Kawasaki syndrome’ has emerged as a serious complication among children, with rates in the UK running at twenty times higher than predicted, even in the early days of its prevalence.
As expert virologist Christian Drosten said after studying the French outbreak:
If that’s happening in schools, then you cannot open schools.
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I see the current leadership of the Labour Party reckon that EXAMS should be put back at least a month, next year.
So they didn’t consider (like Scotalnd is doing) teachers and the system preparing for a moderated teacher assessment of work to be prepared for for next year? Well, it’s not as if they could have some evidence that it might be needed …….
This is the American Academy of pediatrics Report from which this supposed circa 300% increase in child Coronavirus infections and death from coronavirus in the USA since May 20th is supposedly taken : https://services.aap.org/en/pages/2019-novel-coronavirus-covid-19-infections/children-and-covid-19-state-level-data-report/
I’m surprised that our resident coronavirus deniers have been so lazy as not to find the Report themselves (Skwawkbox doesn’t supply the link) . The actual report DOESN’T demonstrate what Skwawkbox claims at all. Up until August 27th (actually a week further on than Skwawkbox’s percentages) the TOTAL child deaths from coronavirus across (most) US states (the data is not even consistently all-state since May 20th) is a mere 101 , yep that’s one hundred and one – compared to a death toll of circa 152,884 for all age groups ! Such a small number will most likely be entirely due to severe underlying health conditions. This is such a tiny number that no trends can be determined statistically from it either way. And since there is no all-state data at all for the USA BEFORE the 8th May it is statistically and mathematically impossible to get a real starting base figure on which to base the claimed circa 300% increase percentage !
The job of socialists is surely , unlike the MSM, to try to be honest and accurate with our readers – not to join the conspiraloon fringe in twisting facts and pseudo-facts to meet our political agenda . The US figures in fact show clearly that children themselves are NOT themselves in significant danger from the utterly shambolic re-opening of schools in the UK – BUT undoubtedly the older, health issue-ridden teachers and support staff will be – from asymptomatic children acting as infection carriers in overcrowded classrooms .
I can’t wait for brianbotou’s response.
Now WHY would that be, little steven? To deflect from you and your unhealthy stammer infatuation.
Are exams not taken at the end of Summer term now, and results arrive mid-holiday as they were – er – 55 years ago???
Won’t that put exams in the middle of the holiday?
From the article “The data set, which spans from May 21 to Aug. 20, varies from state to state, possibly obscuring differences in how the virus affects infants, young children and adolescents.
For example, many states group infants and teenagers into the same category. One state even includes people up to age 24. But the rise remains similar across states.
Young children seem to catch and transmit the virus less than adults, and children of all ages tend not to experience severe complications from it.”
I guess you forgot to include that bit Skwawky. However, I do find Kawasaki syndrome, just wish you’d stuck to the facts instead of sensationalising.
Someone can’t read what’s written
Sorry, I still can’t see where you used this: “The data set, which spans from May 21 to Aug. 20, varies from state to state, possibly obscuring differences in how the virus affects infants, young children and adolescents”
or this: For example, many states group infants and teenagers into the same category. One state even includes people up to age 24.
It seems the American definition of ‘children’ is just as flexible as ours when making headlines.
Lundiel, are you a medically trained person or virologist? I think you should peruse the studies Skwaky is referring to.,,,,,, and a lot of things might become clearer. A stiff upper lip and a cuppa will not sort out this virus.
No Sabine I’m not medically trained and as far as I’m aware neither is Skwawky or the journalist who wrote the article. Saying that, I don’t in any way disagree with the article or its conclusions. What I don’t agree with is selective reporting in order to further an opinion and sensationalise an otherwise run of the mill article that didn’t really say anything new. Other than the definition of a child is flexible.
Sqwawky
Why has this not been reported month’s ago in Sweden
Probably because, as of 21st August there were 90 cases of “child” deaths with coronavirus reported in USA. Whereas, the average child deaths from/with flue are 100 pa in USA.
Is Skwawkbox going into the landfill business? You need somewhere to put all the constant output of rubbish.
Well if you think it’s all ‘constant rubbish’, why do you keep reading it and then posting comments about it? And why don’t you go forth and start your OWN blog?
Yeah, isn’t it odd that RH – like a number of OTHER regular posters – trashes Jeremy as being weak and cowardly etc, and yet he keeps posting comments on this Jeremy Corbyn-supporting blog. So anyway, just out of interest, how long is it now since you came to the conclusion that JC is weak and cowardly? And how come you keep posting on this site if THAT is how you feel about him?
In what respect is this rubbish?
It makes lots of sense to me- this is a very dangerous pandemic in which hundreds of thousands are known to have died and on which, in regions like Latin America and India, mortality rates are much higher than have so far been reported.
What this very valuable source of information-The Skwawkbox- is doing is trying to help us build up a proper picture of the effects of a virus which is still new and of which we know very little.
By “We” of course I exclude the people who rallied in Trafalgar Square who know everything- they know that there isn’t a pandemic, they know that more people die , annually, of influenza than have died of Covid19, they know that dark forces, including Bill Gates, are behind a campaign of unprecedented international scope which is attempting to digitise us (whatever that might mean) by making us wear cloth masks.
Despite being privy to this knowledge they are a bit sketchy about the motivation- is Bill Gates wrecking the capitalist system and breaking the budget simply in order to profit from a vaccine or is he making a few billions by ramping up the use of Microsoft Home Office products? And where does David Icke fit in?
The reality is that, in this era of disillusionment and defeat, cults are proliferating-they fill the vacuum left by declining political activity- and imaginary enemies, lizard like strawmen, become targets of those who no longer have the stomach to fight capitalism and the spivs who are running its governments.
Bevin
What we have now is not Capitalism you were closer with Spivs and Thieves
You also hit the nail on the head with what we know about Covid19
What we do know from those reports that have been peer reviewed is that children dont get it, dont suffer from it and dont spread it
Skwawk has been asked for the numbers going into ICU’s and numbers of deaths FROM Covid19
My advice is until there is that peer reviewed evidence to the contrary, snowflakes on here ‘had their gobs’
The figures are not rubbish but should serve as a warning as to the differences between the USA healthcare system and our own. In the USA the chances of surviving the pandemic are decided by birth. I suspect that when reliable data is available there will also be higher death rates of those with preexisting medical conditions who are reaching ages when they are no longer covered by their parents policy. Therefore the death rate among the young adults in USA will be a higher percentage than here in UK. I would add that the Tory privatisation of the NHS marches on.
Every year there are between 300,000 and 600,000 deaths from influenza. Therefore I demand a global lockdown every year, all media giving over 23.5 hours a day to flue coverage and all children to be home schooled.
Oh, and all contact with GPs to be through a third party over the phone.
I also demand that NHS dentists stop doing fillings because of the danger from aerosols and only do extractions as an emergency.
There have been 848,084 deaths from covid and that is WITH the lockdowns in many countries (particularly populous China). What do you think the deaths would be without the lockdown and other precautions?
Lockdown only put a lid on it
The argument is, Covid19 is not a pandemic, it could have been managed with test and trace, face masks and social distancing
Care homes are vulnerable because of privatisation not the virus
Now if you want to talk about the ‘Financial Pandemic ‘
Probably much the same, though I can’t prove it and you can’t disprove it. However, no one could have done worse than us in encouraging the spread, moving infected bed-blockers into care homes was genius.
Your percentage increases provide no real figures for actual child death or hospitalisation numbers, Skwawky. Poor journalism comrade. Whilst I am in no way a ‘coronavirus denier’ , and fully expect the crazy, Trumpist denialism, and resulting daft virus-spreading behaviours in the USA to lead to extraordinary death figures by the time this epidemic has abated – I think it is incumbent on Skwawkbox here to attach some actual child infection and mortality FIGURES to the, at first sight, terrifying percentage increase figures for May 21 to August 20. So, If the previous child mortality figure in the US for the previous 4 months was, for instance, only three, then the quoted percentage increase in the 300% range for May to August only means there were NINE deaths of children (easily explained by a tiny cohort of children with pre-existing underlying health conditions) . If however the previous base four month figure for child deaths was, for instance, 100, then a percentage increase in the 300% range is massively significant. It is very important not to use unexplained crude percentages to potentially mislead , Skwawky. The coronavirus crisis is serious enough without using potentially dodgy or ambiguous statistics.
The use of bare percentages on their own has always been the bugbear of comparative economic analysis as well – as when previously underdeveloped countries have started their economic take-off, and initially achieve GDP increases of extraordinary magnitude. But that initial percentage increase is always very misleading as a long term guide to their future sustained growth , as the starting point GDP will have been a very, very low base figure.
Does someone who pays themselves £400 million pounds a year get the same percentage pay rise as the lowest paid in the company
Now if we were all in this together, every employee would get the same pay rise
Percentages are a weapon used to keep wages suppressed, show me the money,
Give us the numbers Skwawk
Sqwaky’s figures show the TREND. I would like to see the figures too, but I find it touching that so many socialists tow the govt line on how children aren’t affected by covid on the day they are driving them back to school so the capitalists can have their babysitters back
Capitalism
Relies ‘Creative Destruction ‘ and ‘Moral Hazard ‘
The spivs and thieves refuse to lose
No one taking a haircut or going to gaol
Covid19, Brexit and Scottish independence are not left/right issues
Sorry, thepunterspal, you are simply wrong, Skwawkbox’s unexplained US percentage increase figures do not necessarily show any sort of clear future trend – UNLESS the base figure for the stated circa 300% increase in the USA in child hospitalisations and deaths is a significant (ie, quite large) one. If the base figure is tiny, say, less than TEN for instance, then a circa 300% increase is simply not of statistical significance , such as to determine any likely future trend. If however the base figure is, say 100, then a 300% increase would be very alarming.
Using percentages on their own to supposedly prove a pre-desired position, is very poor journalism, and very poor statistical analysis.
I am towing no ‘Government line’ thepunterspal, just stating what statistical analysis requires to actually determine meaningful trends. Given the generally acknowledged immunity of the overwhelming majority of children to suffering serious effects from coronavirus, but the likelihood that lots of asymptomatic, but infected, children will act as unwitting carriers of the disease , the role of the re-opening of our UK schools is more likely to be as incubation centres and superspreaders of the disease , firstly amongst teachers and anciliary staff, and hence out into the wider community. So probably very few children will die , or even be seriously impacted by coronavirus, but the schools will nevertheless be a major component of spreading the second wave of major infection, with older, health-problem wracked, teachers and and support staff, being both the earliest victims, and then their wider family and social circles. Every teacher and former teacher is well aware that the first thing that happens when a typical teacher goes back to school after the summer holidays is that many of them will very quickly catch a cold from the little blighters ! Such will be the case with coronavirus too.
Read the original article. It’s the whole US and significant numbers
Why did you not simply include the relevant link to support your article , Skwawkbox ? And why still not do it just now when challenged by me ? Anyway, Here it is , after a simple Google search, – including links to very highly detailed data. https://services.aap.org/en/pages/2019-novel-coronavirus-covid-19-infections/children-and-covid-19-state-level-data-report/
The really important FIGURES (in Appendix Table 2C of the detail report by The American Academy of Pediatrics online) , is that in the entire USA, from the very start of the state by state pandemic data collection on May 21st to August 27th only 101 children have died of coronavirus ! One hundred and one, Skwawky ! You actually cite the period May 21st to August 20 in your article, at which point only 92 children had diedin total in the entire USA(alongside 154,279 of all ages ). So , what is the basis of your claimed pre May 21st base figure for child deaths on which you have constructed your extraordinary 229% rise in child deaths claim ? There will obviously have been a large increase in child deaths from coronavirus AFTER coronavirus became a disease considered worth collecting data on – ie, at the start of the pandemic ! But the TOTAL child deaths in the whole USA throughout the pandemic so far is only 92 for the period you cite , to August 20th .
You have indulged in extremely dodgy Fake News reporting here , Skwawkbox. Disgraceful that you didn’t include a simple link to the background report on which you based your dodgy , panic-mongering, statistical percentage claims. The facts revealed by the real USA statistics are clear – children do catch coronavirus , in considerable numbers , BUT , they very seldom die from it, or are even seriously ill. But they DO become asymptomatic , (ie, usually symptom-free), potential CARRIERS of it , and hence infectors of more vulnerable adults working in schools . THAT is the very real danger arising from the shambolic return to schools policy, NOT a serious danger to children’s health in itself. You should focus on that real danger, of schools becoming local superspreading centres, not concoct bogus statistical claims.
Latest report on Lockdown deaths, they are currently running at 2/3’s of Covid19 deaths,
What say you
Well they would be, we were coming down from the peak caused by the govt delay in locking down.
And covid most definitely IS a left/right issue. Today’s schools return has nothing to do with the Tories’ (and Starmer’s Labour for that matter) wanting to educate children and everything to do with wanting their parents to stop babysitting and get back to producing profits for the Tories’ friends and backers. Ditto, the delay in locking down was because it would badly effect the bottom line of the same people. From the startthe dividing line has been public health first or private profit.
Covid19 is a public health issue there should be no gutless or spineless politicians within a country mile of it, see Sweden