Sep 14, 2020 - Health

CDC: Kids can spread coronavirus to their households

Caitlin Owens

Children in class reading books at socially distanced seats. — Students at Weaverville Elementary School in Weaverville, California on Aug. 17, 2020. Photo: Kent Nishimura/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images

Children can and do transmit the coronavirus to members of their household, a new report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention confirms.

Why it matters: As the coronavirus spreads through schools across the country, the people who live with exposed children — some of whom may be older or have preexisting conditions — are also at risk of catching the virus.

Details: The study looked at coronavirus outbreaks associated with three child care facilities in Utah.

It found that 12 children acquired the virus in these facilities, and then transmitted it to at least 12 of their non-facility contacts — about a quarter of such contacts.
One parent was hospitalized, and two asymptomatic children transmitted the virus.

The bottom line: If you are a parent or a grandparent who is sending their child to school, and there is a coronavirus outbreak at that school, you are also at risk of catching the virus. That is a terrible predicament for millions of caregivers across the country, especially those who are vulnerable.

Go deeper: Schools soldier through coronavirus outbreaks

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CDC: Kids can spread coronavirus to their households

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