Burlington VT –Doctors Benjamin Lee and William V Raszka, Jr, both pediatric and infectious disease experts at the University of Vermont’s Larner College of Medicine recently published an article titled “COVID-19 Transmission and Children: The Child Is Not to Blame.”
In the article, which was published in Pediatrics, a peer-reviewed journal of the American Academy of Pediatrics, they conclude that children rarely transmit COVID-19 to others.
Their belief is that school should start on time in the fall, providing that social distancing guidelines are in effect.
A number of people asking me: but what about getting teachers & staff infected? We address this in detail. Children do not appear to be a significant source of transmission of this #coronavirus. pic.twitter.com/dyewcLg7KU
— Avik Roy (@Avik) July 17, 2020
The doctor’s conclusions are after research from a study, “COVID-19 in Children and the Dynamics of Infection in Families,” in which Dr. Klara M. Posfay-Barbe and other colleagues from the University of Geneva’s medical school showed that out of 39 infected people only received the virus 8% of the time from their children.
In addition, China conducted a study which looked at 68 children that have COVID-19 and admitted to the Qingdao Women’s and Children’s Hospital from January to February 27, 2020.
Out of the amount of children hospitalized, 96% were household contracts from infected adults.
In a separate study, 9 out of 10 children who were hospitalized for the virus are suspected of contracting it after exposure to an adult. There was only one who’s case may have come from a child.
In another case out of France, a child who was COVID-19 positive had been in school while sick. The child exposed over 80 other children while he was sick, not one of them came down with the illness.
What is not noted is if there were any teachers which contracted the illness.
Dr. Raszka believed that this information suggests that adults are the main cause of the spread of the virus. He said:
“The key takeaway is that children are not driving the pandemic. After six months, we have a wealth of accumulating data showing that children are less likely to become infected and seem less infectious; it is congregating adults who aren’t following safety protocols who are responsible for driving the upward curve.”
When it comes to opening schools, Doctors Raszka and Lee believe that opening the schools in the fall on schedule should happen. According to UMV, they believe that not opening schools on time would be detrimental regarding childhood development. They both said:
“By doing so, we could minimize the potentially profound adverse social, developmental, and health costs that our children will continue to suffer until an effective treatment or vaccine can be developed and distributed, or failing that, until we reach herd immunity.”
Dr. Raszka also spoke about a rise in cases in Texas childcare facilities. The breakdown of those numbers show 884 positive cases amongst the teachers and staff and 441 amongst the children in over 800 child care businesses across the state. Dr. Raszka cautions that reading those numbers can lead to broad misinterpretation.
“There is widespread transmission of COVID-19 in Texas today, with many adults congregating without observing social distancing or wearing masks.
While we don’t yet know the dynamics of the outbreak, it is unlikely that infants and young children in daycare are driving the surge. Based on the evidence, it’s more plausible that adults are passing the infection to the children in the vast majority of cases.”
The doctor’s article also takes into account mathematical modeling which supports their conclusion that children are not a significant threat of passing the virus.
The models show that social distancing and wearing of face masks will work better for slowing the spread of the virus as opposed to closing schools. They also cite the opening of schools in Western European countries and Japan which has not produced a rise in the transmission of COVID-19.
It is difficult to tell if many will head what the information is in this report, as many areas have already decided not to reopen schools in the fall or do them in a manner which would have a portion of the school population there at a time while the others remain at home.
North Carolina sees increase in virus cases, won’t say it’s due to anti-police protests (Op-ed)
GOP expects to move its convention to Jacksonville after dispute with North Carolina over pandemic safeguards… https://t.co/rur5DuQ6jl
— Robert Costa (@costareports) June 10, 2020
The incident took place on May 30th, where onlookers can be seen as someone apparently attempts to commit an act of arson. In a matter of seconds, that criminal act turned on the rioter – and fast.
https://twitter.com/mermaids4lunch/status/1266882639316877314
Another video captured of the fire provides a closer view of what took place atop the steps of the Market House.
The individual can be seen trying to retrieve some sort of incendiary object from the ground that is already on fire, presumably something similar to a Molotov cocktail.
After picking the item up and attempting to throw it through a doorway, the flames immediately shower the rioter; setting his head and backside on fire.
The unidentified rioter begins running down the stairs, engulfed in flames, where onlookers then begin to rush toward him to help put out the flames on his body.
Fayetteville, NC wild as hell 🤣 pic.twitter.com/fSQ2qG44Z3
— tyler (@ihateyoutyIer) May 31, 2020
It was reported that the protests in Fayetteville remained non-violent from when they started at 3:00 p.m. on May 30th, until about 7:00 p.m. that evening. By 7:15 p.m., people outside of the Market House had caught wind of the fire burning inside.
#NEW: Some individuals have gone into the Market House and set it on fire. A thick smoke is coming out from the doors. @ABC11_WTVD pic.twitter.com/uIRDrwjPgM
— Michael Lozano (@MLozanoABC11) May 30, 2020
It was said that the fire was extinguished at the Market House by approximately 8:00 p.m., but there were additional reports that came in saying that flames could be seen from the structure once again by 8:45 p.m., though it’s unknown if it was from a second intentional act of arson or remnants of the first.
Shortly after 9:00 p.m., a civil emergency response was enacted by police in the immediate area of the protests in Fayetteville.
The response was said to be an effort to “protect people, property and businesses. They’re trained to react to crowd control/violence.”
The Cross Creek Mall, which had been closed earlier due to concerns over the demonstrations, had apparently gathered a crowd of protesters by 10:15 p.m. that night.
However, there were also rioters and looters that had arrived at the mall, and apparently began looting the JCPenney store.
A number of arrests were reported to have occurred as a result, but it is unknown exactly how many people were taken into custody following the looting at the Cross Creek Mall.
The day following the riots and looting, Fayetteville Mayor Mitch Colvin imposed a curfew for the city from 8:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m., considering the events that played out on the 30th.
Both Mayor Colvin and Fayetteville Police Chief Gina Hawkins believe that there are non-locals coming into the city and causing this sort of damage.
The mayor stated that the curfew that has been enacted will be able to help identify if that is in fact the case.
What’s more interesting, is that Fayetteville happened to be another city where some random pile of bricks were found laying around near were certain protesters convened.
Bricks are magically appearing in cities across the nation just in time for the riots:
Dallas -> https://t.co/0s2LAevP32
Fayetteville, NC -> https://t.co/nc5aaIsY0R
Manhatten -> https://t.co/8HT97RseH3
— Paul Rubino (@PaulRubino6) June 1, 2020
Locals who have been documenting the sites where criminal damage and riots took place took video of the very piles, and placed a link to a Dropbox account where a narrator shoots video noting the position of the random pile of bricks.
Others have taken to Twitter to ask locals within Fayetteville to see if they can locate any other possible sites that contain bricks as well.
According to @BernardKerik there are approx 13-15 locations
— SavingtheRepublic ☠️🇺🇸🇮🇹 (@BMartin1776) June 1, 2020
Local small business owner Cyrus Glass, who owns the candy store Rocket Fizz, positioned himself outside of his shop to protect it from looters and rioters. He said that he feels like the police aren’t doing enough to stop the rioting.
Glass held his position out front of the candy shop, with a stick in hand in case anyone attempts to harm his business:
“To be honest with you, I feel like the police department has failed me because they’re standing here and letting these guys vandalize businesses. With that being said, what I’m doing right now, I’m protecting my own.”
This is reality for #smallbusinessowners in #raleigh. Particularly #DowntownRaleigh. Rocket Fizz owner having to defend his own Fayetteville St business with a stick b/c #RaleighPD just stands there & allows looting & vandalism for 2 DAYS! #riots #protests https://t.co/1jhRbPcw0p
— DesignGuru (@iamraleighgal) June 1, 2020
Things have gotten bad where people feel so worried about their private property during these riots that they’re literally having to position themselves armed with weapons outside of their candy shop.
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