U.S.A.
Page 12 n THE ASIAN REPORTER
October 4, 2021
Is the delta variant of the
coronavirus worse for kids?
By Lindsey Tanner
AP Medical Writer
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Can kids be harmed wearing
masks to protect against COVID?
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Since the pandemic began, more than
5 million children in the U.S. have
tested positive for COVID-19.
The delta variant has been
identified in at least 180 countries,
according to the World Health
Organization (WHO). In many of
them, the spike in infections has also
meant an increase in hospitalizations
in young children and teens.
By Lindsey Tanner
The Associated Press
C
an kids be harmed wearing
masks to protect against
COVID?
No, there is no scientific evidence
showing masks cause harm to kids’
health despite baseless claims
suggesting otherwise.
The claims are circulating on social
media and elsewhere just as virus
outbreaks are hitting many reopened
U.S. schools — particularly those
without mask mandates.
Among the unfounded arguments:
Masks can foster germs if they
become moist or cause unhealthy
levels of carbon dioxide. But experts
say washing masks routinely keeps
them safe and clean.
Some argue that young children
miss important visual and social cues
that enhance learning and develop-
ment when their classmates and
teachers are wearing masks. But
others note that children with vision
or hearing impairment learn to adapt
and that other kids can, too.
“We don’t know for sure that masks
have no developmental effects but we
AP Illustration/Peter Hamlin
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AP Illustration/Peter Hamlin
I
s the delta variant of the
coronavirus worse for kids?
Experts say there’s no strong evi-
dence that it makes children and
teens sicker than earlier versions of
the virus, although delta has led to a
surge in infections among kids
because it’s more contagious.
Delta’s ability to spread more
easily makes it more of a risk to
children and underscores the need for
masks in schools and vaccinations for
those who are old enough, said Dr.
Juan Dumois, a pediatric infectious
disease physician at Johns Hopkins
All Children’s Hospital in St.
Petersburg, Florida.
Weekly infection rates among U.S.
children earlier in September topped
250,000, surpassing the wintertime
peak, according to data from the
American Academy of Pediatrics and
Children’s Hospital Association.
In the U.S., the hospitalization rate
for COVID-19 was less than 2 per
100,000 children in late August and
early September — similar to the
peak last winter, according to the
Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention (CDC). But the portion of
kids hospitalized with severe disease
hasn’t changed significantly.
The sheer numbers can make it
seem like children are getting sicker
with the delta variant, but experts
say that does not appear to be the
case. Most infected kids have mild
infections or no symptoms and do not
need to be hospitalized.
COVID-19 vaccines continue to
provide protection against delta.
Among children 12 and older — who
are
eligible
for
COVID-19
vaccinations
—
the
weekly
hospitalization rate in July was 10
times higher for the unvaccinated
than those who have had the shots,
CDC data show.
do know that there are adverse effects
from not trying to stop transmission,”
said Dr. Emily Levy, a critical care
and infection control expert at the
Mayo Clinic Children’s Center.
There’s strong evidence masking
children in schools can reduce
COVID-19 transmission to other
children and adults.
Across 166 schools in Maricopa
County,
Arizona,
COVID-19
outbreaks are two times more
common at those without mask
mandates,
said
Dr.
Rebecca
Sunenshine, medical director of the
county’s public health department.
Studies from school districts in
other states including North Carolina
have also found that masking can
greatly reduce COVID-19 trans-
mission rates, especially when it’s
combined with physical distancing
and other prevention measures.
“One thing that we know about
prevention, about infection control is
that there isn’t a single intervention
that will win the day,” said Dr.
Joshua
Schaffzin,
director
of
infection prevention and control at
Cincinnati Children’s Hospital.
But he noted there’s plenty of
evidence that masking is a key
component in making schools safer.
To avoid skin irritation, doctors
suggest washing masks regularly,
making sure they fit properly, and
picking masks made with soft,
breathable fabric.
Japan’s next leader: Higher wages cure for pandemic doldrums
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Continued from page 4
June 30, 2020, retained corporate
earnings in Japan totalled nearly 460
trillion yen (about $4.2 trillion)
Poverty is generally hidden away
in affluent, orderly Japan, and
homelessness is not as prevalent or
visible as it is in the U.S. and some
other countries. But living standards
are falling and will keep declining
unless the value of work per person
rises as the population declines.
Raising productivity also is key to
raising wages, economists say.
Despite the famous efficiency of
manufacturers like Toyota Motor
Corp., Japan ranks 21st among the 36
nations in the Organization for
Economic Cooperation and Develop-
ment. Its per-hour productivity was
under $50 in 2018, compared with
nearly $75 per hour in the U.S. and
about $102 in Ireland.
Kishida has said little about the
productivity problem, though he is
getting a head start on one area of
reforms: what the Japanese call
“digitization.”
The slow and clumsy handling of
pandemic relief payments and
vaccinations drove home the urgency
of modernizing Japan’s data sharing
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and public services. A new Digital
Agency was launched on September 1
to lead a shift away from reliance on
fax
machines,
handwritten
documents, and ink stamps, helping
streamline red tape.
Such changes are necessary but
won’t fix the economy, Richard Katz,
editor-in-chief of The Oriental
Economist, said in a recent online
briefing.
“There are a whole bunch of
challenges,” he said. “They’re
solvable but that needs a prime
minister with a will to act, who has a
strategy.”
COVID-19 VACCINE
INFORMATION
To learn more about COVID-19
vaccinations, reach out to
https://vaccinefinder.org
Oregon
Call 211 or 1-866-698-6155
Visit covidvaccine.oregon.gov
Washington
Call (360) 236-4501 or 1-800-525-0127
Visit doh.wa.gov/coronavirus