Much remains unknown about Covid-19 risks for children, according to Dr. Scott Gottlieb. He warned about comparing such risks with those from seasonal flu.
“The reality is that flu last year infected 11.8 million kids. We have not infected anywhere near that number of kids with Covid, and we don’t want to find out what it might look like if we did,” Gottlieb said on “Closing Bell.”
According to a Johns Hopkins University tally, the US reported around 4.1 million confirmed coronavirus cases.
Gottlieb’s statements come as school districts across the US prepare for the reopening of schools amid the coronavirus epidemic. In early July, President Donald Trump warned schools about withholding federal funding to those that will not open.
According to Gottlieb, the CDC guidelines also “rather grimly” compare the number of coronavirus deaths in children to the number of deaths in children caused by seasonal flu. “So far in this pandemic, deaths of children are less than in each of the last five flu seasons, with only 64,” the CDC guidelines show.
“The actual incidence of hospitalizations and deaths thankfully is low” for children with coronavirus, Gottlieb noted. “But the reality is that most kids probably haven’t been infected with Covid.”
"We really do want to prevent outbreaks in the school setting," he noted.
Gottlieb has repeatedly stressed that schools can safely reopen to hold physical classes during the pandemic. But he believes this decision is a localized one that must take into account the region’s Covid-19 outbreak.
“It’s going to be very hard for communities to open schools for in-class learning against the backdrop of really epidemic, uncontrolled spread,” he said. “The good news is a lot of parts of the country the epidemic is under some semblance of control. ... I think those states are going to have the opportunity to try to open their schools in the fall, at least for a period of time.”
New York school reopening
New York has been criticized for its school reopening plans.
“The perfect choice would be we have a vaccine and we’re back to business, but we know that’s not the case,” Richard Carranza said on “Closing Bell.” “What we’re trying to do is pick the least onerous of a portfolio of onerous choices.”
Carranza and Mayor Bill de Blasio of NYC made an announcement about the city’s school reopening. They said the district would allow most of its 1.1 million students to attend in-person classes only two or three days per week. Students will attend remote instruction for the rest of the week.
Albany. New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo has yet to approve the plan. He said that the state expects to make a decision on school reopening in the fall in early August. The reason for this is the swift change of dynamics in the nation’s coronavirus outbreak.
NYC received criticisms for intending to partially send students back to school because it could reportedly damage educational development for children. Critics are concerned about the burden it places on parents and guardians who would take on more challenges with child care and helping their children learn while doing full-time jobs
