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.