It’s Back-to-School time in America, but this year that doesn’t just mean pencil cases, it aslo means cases of Pediatric COVID-19, 250,000 in the last week. Kids in low-vaccination states are getting infected at greater rates. Emergency Room visits and hospital admissions in the states with the lowest vaccination coverage were 3.4 and 3.7 times higher than in states with the highest vaccination rates. Children’s hospitals are at or near capacity and asking for federal assistance. For the most recent reporting period, infections among children account for 22.4 percent of reported COVID-19 cases. That’s 204,000 infected kids in a week.
Even though most parents favor mask-wearing in schools, nine states prohibit school districts from setting mask requirements: Arizona, Arkansas, Florida, Iowa, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, and Utah. Over 1,000 schools have closed due to COVID-19 outbreaks since late July.
Last August, 460,000 bikers from all over the country headed to the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally in South Dakota’s Black Hills. Many carried Covid-19 back home. Contact tracing was nearly impossible, but at least 649 Covid-19 cases were linked directly to the Sturgis rally, and they passed the virus around to friends and family. One estimate put cumulative infections from the event at 250,000 nationwide, generating public health costs of $12.2 billion.
Sniffer dogs trained using socks worn by people with COVID-19 may soon be used to to pick up the ‘corona odor’ of infected people entering airports and arenas.
More:
“On the Covid Front Lines, When Not Getting Belly Rubs,” Hannah Beech, New York Times
“Coronavirus Rhapsody,” written by Freddy Mercury, with new 2020 lyrics by Dana Jay Bein, sung by Raúl Irabién. Video post: Daniel Reyes; audio: Armando Olabuenaga.
In the pandemic year of 2020, children’s homes became their classrooms as America’s K-12 education went online. The curriculum included school active-shooter drills, required by law in most states. Lesson objective: in America’s gun culture, even your kitchen table isn’t safe. Will this be on the test?
More:
“Active-Shooter Drills Look Pretty Weird Over Zoom,” Monica Chin, The Verge
“School Shooting Drills Have Gone Virtual,” Dan Kois, Slate
Image (“Bacchus at Cocktail Hour, after Carvaggio”) by Mike Licht. Download a copy here. Creative Commons license; credit Mike Licht, NotionsCapital.com
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Last month, Russia’s Gamaleya Institute announced that its Sputnik V COVID-19 vaccine is 92% effective, and Russia began mass vaccinations early this month. Many Russians have avoided getting innoculated, however. The rapid rollout of the vaccine leaves many Russians skeptical, but there may be another reason they’re staying away. Russia has one of the highest per capita rates of alcohol consumption in Europe, and Russian officials are saying the vaccinated should lay off the vodka for 42 days. A walk-back to 6 days followed, 3 days after each of the two injections, but that still may be too much for many hard-drinking Russians.
