Experts have urged schools to add mask mandates after the recent surge of coronavirus infections in children, which has included thousands of cases in the last three weeks.
How many kids got COVID recently?
More than 500,000 children tested positive for COVID-19 in the United States in the last three weeks, according to data from the American Academy of Pediatrics.
- The cases were reported from Aug. 5 to Aug. 26.
- About 203,962 of those cases were in the week of Aug. 19 to Aug. 26.
- Per CNN, a normal week in June had about 8,500 total confirmed COVID-19 cases.
Should kids wear face masks?
Dr. Jonathan Reiner, a professor of medicine and surgery at George Washington University, told CNN that this is why mask mandates in schools are so important.
- “The virus is raging in all these children who are unvaccinated, which is why in schools mask mandates are so important,” he said.
Reiner said it’s especially important in schools where children are younger than 12 years old since they cannot be vaccinated yet.
- “They have no other protection,” he said. “They’re literally sitting ducks.”
Should you wear a mask or get vaccinated?
Dr. Teresa Blaskovich, pediatrician at the Children’s Clinic and secretary-treasurer of the Montana Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics, told the Montana Billings Gazette that parents should also be good role models for their children by wearing masks and getting vaccinated.
- “If a parent is resisting masking or the outcome of the pandemic, it will be harder for kids to comply, and will affect the child’s classmates and the classmates’ families,” Blaskovich said. “If you’re a good role model with wearing a mask (the kids) won’t have a problem with it.”