translated from Spanish: U.S.: cases of coronavirus rise in children after classroom reopening

After strongly attacking the elderly in the spring, the coronavirus is increasingly infecting American children and adolescents, in a trend that authorities have said appears to be driven by the reopening of schools and the resumption of sporting events, play-to-play appointments and other activities. Children of all ages now account for up to 10% of all coronavirus cases in the United States, compared to April 2%, the American Academy of Pediatrics reported Tuesday. And the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said Monday that the incidence of COVID-19 on minors began to increase in early September, after many young people returned to classrooms. The number of adolescents infected was approximately twice as high as that of young children, according to the CDC report. Most infected children developed mild symptoms, and hospitalization and mortality rates are much lower than for adults. Dr. Sally Goza, president of the American Academy of Pediatrics, said the rise in numbers is a major concern and highlights the importance of carrying masks, hand washing, social estating and other measures.” While children generally don’t get sick with coronavirus as much as adults, they’re not immune, and there’s a lot to learn about how easily they can pass it on to other people,” he said in a statement. The CDC report did not indicate where or how the children were infected. Public health experts commented that the uptick is likely to reflect further spread of the virus in the community at large. And they said that many children who are getting sick probably did not get infected in the classroom, where the use of masks and other preventive measures has been implemented. Just as college cases have been linked to parties and outings to bars, children may have contracted the virus in play dates, sleepovers, sports and other activities where no precautions are taken, said Dr. Leana Wen, a public health specialist at George Washington University.” It’s understandable that there’s a quarantine drop,” Wen said. Many people feel that if schools are reopening, then many other activities can resume as well, “but it’s actually the opposite,” he added. Global studies indicate that face-to-face teaching can be safe when transmission rates in the general community are low, according to the CDC report.

Original source in Spanish