DES MOINES (Iowa)--The rise of the coronavirus variant and the start of the school year have significantly increased the risk children face during the pandemic. This is what a group pediatricians stated in court documents filed in the federal lawsuit against the Iowa Governor. Kim Reynolds.
The American Academy of Pediatrics' Iowa chapter and its Iowa chapter filed a brief Tuesday before the federal court judge. He is examining the lawsuit that 11 parents of Iowa children filed last week and The Arc of Iowa. It seeks the repeal of a Republican-passed measure, which Reynolds signed into law in May and prohibits school boards imposing mask mandates.
In a document filed with court, the AAP stated that they reviewed the research and experienced front-line pediatricians and found that universal mask policies in schools have significantly reduced the spread of COVID-19 among school children. 20% of cases were diagnosed since September 16, when the pandemic began.
According to the AAP, the court document stated that the surge was due to two main factors: the return to in-person education (and especially schooling in places where masks are not required) and the emergence the delta variant, which is twice as contagious than previous variants.
According to the document, more than 5.5million child COVID-19 cases had been reported in the United States by September 16, which is more that 15% of all cases in the country. The group stated that Iowa had reported more than 56,000 child cases.
Reynolds' opposition to mask mandates has been challenged by the testimonial. She has raised questions about the effectiveness of cloth masks at schools and suggested that they could cause harm. Reynolds said parents should decide whether or not to mask their children.
According to the AAP, claims by the state that masks can cause damage to breathing, social skills or anxiety in children are unscientific.
According to the AAP, more than 3200 children were hospitalized for COVID-19 between August 13 and September 16 in 24 states and one city. This data is consistent with Iowa hospitals reporting that COVID-19 has been reported to have resulted in more children being admitted for treatment. State public health officials released Wednesday data showing that COVID-19 cases among children aged 17 and under accounted for 24% of all new cases in the state over the past week. The virus infected ten children aged 11 and younger.
According to the AAP, since August began, more children have been killed each week than during the entire pandemic. Nationally, 498 children died in the pandemic. This includes New York City, Puerto Rico, Guam and New York City. According to the group, three children died in Iowa due to COVID-19. Arizona had 38, while Texas has 79 child deaths due to the virus.
Children with certain underlying conditions such as Down's syndrome, heart disease, and weak immune systems are at greater risk from the uncontrolled spread COVID-19.
Judge Robert Pratt judge from South Carolina rescinded Tuesday's state's ban regarding mask mandates. On Monday, a judge from Arizona reversed the decision of a Republican-passed judge.
