The countries of Germany and Denmark have far lower rates of infection and have opened their borders to surrounding countries. Germany is currently requiring students to test themselves regularly AT SCHOOL where officials can witness the test and require masks to be worn.
None of this is cheap. It is not simply opening school doors and restarting classes. The Trump administration has no clue as to the best approach for American children who are sicker than European children. That fact needs to be understood. American children, because they live in a capitalist society without the benefits in many instances of health insurance and ACCESS to health care are far sicker. The minority neighborhoods are the sickest among America's children because of segregation, lower household incomes, and ENVIRONMENTAL INJUSTICE.
July 13, 2020
By Will Feuer
President Donald Trump (click here) tweeted last week that schools in “Germany, Denmark, Norway and Sweden, along with many other countries” were “open with no problems.”
But young people in the U.S. are generally sicker than young people in those countries, former FDA chief Dr. Scott Gottlieb said.
About 6 million U.S. children under the age of 18 have asthma, according to the CDC, and the agency notes that Black children suffer from asthma at more than double the rate of White children....
Sweden is singing the blues because they didn't follow the same path as their European neighbors. Sweden is not doing well.
...I think where Sweden really failed (click here) was in its strategy to protect the elderly, the most vulnerable. Fifty percent of deaths have taken place in care homes. And in terms of the herd immunity, it wasn't the overall goal, but it was something that scientists predicted would happen. And we aren't seeing very high levels of antibodies in the population here. And we're also seeing more science and research suggesting that it's unclear what will happen in the future with those who do have antibodies.
MARTIN: So are Swedish leaders acknowledging that they didn't get their strategy quite right?
SAVAGE: Swedish leaders have admitted that things went wrong in terms of the death toll, specifically in elderly care homes. But I think what's important to point out here is that it's the public authorities, the scientists employed by the state - they've really been the front - the forefront of this crisis. And there wasn't a huge amount of political debate at the beginning....
The death toll was far more than anyone expected and to have the elderly effected so deeply really caused Sweden to take another look at their strategy and decide differently.
Their children were never asked to shelter at home and teachers wonder if people will die because they are conducting school. The health departments don't have the funding to keep records of sick children or school participation. Parents feel they don't have a choice in the matter as they could be caught up in legal issues if their children were to school at home. They also don't have cooperating school systems that provide for virtual learning.
Denmark with a total population less than 6 million people, including children, did not find an increase in cases after the schools opened. But, they did close and they prepared for a return of students differently than they usually do.
European countries are different from the USA. They invest in their population's health. No child has a better opportunity to health than any other child. Or education for that matter. So to be completely honest, while Europe is looking good for the most part, they are different than the USA in many ways, but, primarily in the health of the nations.
In the very early stages of the invasion of COVID-19, I stated the hospitals will help people make it through the progression of the disease. The healthier the patient the better opportunity for a good outcome. Europe has healthier people than the USA because their lifestyles are not full of stress and ill-health.
The facts remain the same. Returning American children to schools places adults as well as children at risk. If a child has asthma they should not attend in-school classes because of the risk they face in complications.
This virus spawns blood clots. While it is right to send children back to school when there is virtually no risk of contracting the virus, there are many reasons to prevent exposure to school environments in populations of people that are not seeing an eradication of the virus in their countries.
