Coronavirus US: study shows 97,000 children tested positive in last two weeks of July – live updates | The Guardian

New data shows huge uptick in infections of childrenUS passes 5m Covid-19 cases as Joe Biden says pandemic ‘breaks heart’Trump’s coronavirus relief orders described as ‘laughable’ by Andrew CuomoAlex Azar praises Taiwan’s Covid-19 response during rare visitSign up to our First Thing newsletter 11.40am BST The head of California’s public health department resigned late Sunday, the Associated Press reports, just days after the state announced a fix for a glitch that caused a lag in collecting coronavirus test information that’s used to make decisions about reopening businesses and schools.Dr. Sonia Angell said she was departing from her role as director and state public health officer at the California Department of Public Health in a letter to staff released by the California Health and Human Services Agency. Angell did not give a specific reason for her departure. 11.35am BST The Washington Post overnight have had more details of this study by the American Academy of Pediatrics and the Children’s Hospital Association, which claims that 97,000 US children tested positive for the coronavirus in the last two weeks of July. That is more than a quarter of the total number of children diagnosed nationwide since MarchThere’s a slight caveat here, that the word children can conjure up images of the very young, but the data is from 49 states, many of whom defined children as younger than 19 years old.The jump in pediatric cases comes as children are entering close quarters for the first time in months as some schools open their doors to students again. For months, teachers, parents and politicians have argued over whether the risks that the novel coronavirus pose to children outweigh the benefits of in-person learning.Many school districts have chosen to operate entirely remotely until case numbers drop. Some have opted for hybrid learning systems in which children attend school in-person only a few days a week to limit crowding. But even schools with measures limiting crowds have suffered outbreaks already. Continue reading…

• New data shows huge uptick in infections of children
• US passes 5m Covid-19 cases as Joe Biden says pandemic ‘breaks heart’
• Trump’s coronavirus relief orders described as ‘laughable’ by Andrew Cuomo
• Alex Azar praises Taiwan’s Covid-19 response during rare visit
• Sign up to our First Thing newsletter

11.40am BST

The head of California’s public health department resigned late Sunday, the Associated Press reports, just days after the state announced a fix for a glitch that caused a lag in collecting coronavirus test information that’s used to make decisions about reopening businesses and schools.

Dr. Sonia Angell said she was departing from her role as director and state public health officer at the California Department of Public Health in a letter to staff released by the California Health and Human Services Agency. Angell did not give a specific reason for her departure.

11.35am BST

The Washington Post overnight have had more details of this study by the American Academy of Pediatrics and the Children’s Hospital Association, which claims that 97,000 US children tested positive for the coronavirus in the last two weeks of July. That is more than a quarter of the total number of children diagnosed nationwide since March

There’s a slight caveat here, that the word children can conjure up images of the very young, but the data is from 49 states, many of whom defined children as younger than 19 years old.

The jump in pediatric cases comes as children are entering close quarters for the first time in months as some schools open their doors to students again. For months, teachers, parents and politicians have argued over whether the risks that the novel coronavirus pose to children outweigh the benefits of in-person learning.

Many school districts have chosen to operate entirely remotely until case numbers drop. Some have opted for hybrid learning systems in which children attend school in-person only a few days a week to limit crowding. But even schools with measures limiting crowds have suffered outbreaks already.

Continue reading…