307 children in Texas-based daycare have tested positive for COVID-19, and cases are only increasing
On Wednesday, the United States reported nearly 50,000 new cases of coronavirus. As single-day registrations skyrocket, some states have reversed their reopens to curb the rapid spread of COVID-19. While US cities have been asking restaurants, bars, and gyms to re-close their stores, there has been an increase in COVID-19 cases in a rather unexpected place: daily grooming.
Texas grandstand reports that 307 children in Texas-based child care centers have been infected (along with 643 staff members) at 668 locations across the state, and the number of cases appears to be increasing. There are currently 12,207 licensed daycare centers open, but that may not be the case for much longer. According to Texas grandstand, Childhood COVID-19 cases have gone from 59 in mid-May to a staggering 576 on June 23. Clearly, the virus has spread more easily in daycare settings than previously thought.
Just this week, the American Academy of Pediatrics reported that “all policy considerations for the upcoming school year should start with the goal of having students physically present at school,” so hearing that the virus is spreading in some care is baffling to say less. Dr. Sean O’Leary, a pediatric infectious disease specialist at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, recently spoke with The New York Times on why you think children need to go back to school. O’Leary, who is also a survivor of COVID-19, told the publication, “This virus is different from most of the respiratory viruses we deal with each year.” School-age children clearly play a role in increasing influenza rates within communities. That doesn’t seem to be the case with COVID-19. And it seems that in countries where schools have reopened, it plays a much smaller role in spreading the disease than might be expected. “
Dr. O’Leary even mentions that child care centers have no have been considered critical points of COVID-19, with only four positive cases in facilities in Colorado. “The children in the centers are not spreading COVID-19. I also hear the same from other states, “he said.
Although it’s not clear why Texas is seeing such a dramatic increase in daycare-derived COVID-19 cases (so far, no other state in the US has experienced such a large and immediate outbreak in child care centers. alone), the numbers still point to the fact that daycare centers may transmit the virus, as the Texas grandstand.
What does this mean for US schools and daycare centers that are advised to welcome students this fall? While the American Academy of Pediatrics argues that children should be in school if possible, school administrators, teachers, and parents worry that children come to class while also following strict safety protocols (such as distancing social, constant disinfection of surfaces and each student’s temperature measurement) may not be sustainable and could dig in instructional time. Additionally, adult employees are concerned about the ability to physically distance themselves from each other. With so many people gathering, wouldn’t it be possible for the virus to spread?
Dr. O’Leary responded to this in the NYT saying, “We are pediatricians. We are not educators. We do not want to step on the space where we do not belong. But what I would say is that it depends on the level of risk for the individual person. Are all the districts I have spoken to here in Colorado? They are doing Important considerations for their teachers, trying to figure out how to keep them safe. “He also added that masks have been shown to be effective in stopping the spread of COVID-19.” If they take all possible precautions, I think the risk is quite low. “he added.
In late June, Texas re-established security protocols to make daycare centers safer. Staff would be required to check temperatures not only for children, but also for adult employees. Parents were asked to leave their children outside, and family-style meals were prohibited. Kim Kofron, executive director of the Texas Association for the Education of Young Children, said: “The requirements that came out yesterday will provide some clarity for the centers because they know what to do.”
According to Texas grandstandThe state is not tracking which centers follow the rules, making things even more terrifying and confusing for parents and educators. Kofron said: “I hope and pray that the centers do what is best for the children, families and people who work for them. And I hope and pray that the state does what is best for child care centers. ”
