Aug 5, 2020 - Sports

The return of high school sports hangs in the balance

Kendall Baker, author of Sports
Data: MaxPreps, Axios research; Cartogram: Andrew Witherspoon/Axios

As local governments go to war over whether high schools can open, the fate of the fall sports season hangs in the balance.

The state of play: The National Federation of State High School Associations has offered a 16-page guide to help states resume athletics, but with so many organizations and school districts involved, there has been little uniformity.

  • The majority of states have announced delays or postponements for some or all fall sports, while 15 are still planning to hold normal fall sports seasons.

Why it matters: Whether seasons start as scheduled, get delayed or move to 2021, high school athletes will be impacted in myriad ways.

  • Exercise: Physical activity levels of high school athletes have declined 50% since May, according to a recent University of Wisconsin study.
  • Mental health: That same study suggests two-thirds of high school athletes are experiencing depression and anxiety due to canceled seasons.
  • Recruiting: A reshuffled high school sports schedule could negatively impact recruiting, and multi-sport athletes will face difficult decisions if seasons overlap (as is the case in California).

Go deeper: What a school day looks like in a pandemic

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Axios
Updated Sep 18, 2020 - Health

U.S. coronavirus updates

Expand chart
Data: The COVID Tracking Project; Note: Does not include probable deaths from New York City; Map: Andrew Witherspoon/Axios

49% of U.S. adults said in a recent Pew survey they would not get a coronavirus vaccine if one were available today.

Why it matters: All major political and demographic groups said they are less likely to get a vaccine now than they were in May, although Republicans and Black adults are the least likely.

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Caitlin Owens, author of Vitals
Sep 18, 2020 - Health

Millions of COVID-19 vulnerable adults tied to schools

Illustration: Aïda Amer/Axios

At least 42% of school employees are vulnerable to the coronavirus, and at least 63.2% of employees live with someone who is at increased risk, according to a new study published in Health Affairs.

Why it matters: We know children can catch and spread the virus. This study emphasizes why minimizing risk if and when schools reopen is crucial.

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Axios
Updated 44 mins ago - Politics & Policy

Coronavirus dashboard

Illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios

  1. Global: Total confirmed cases as of 4 p.m. ET: 30,873,714 — Total deaths: 958,383— Total recoveries: 21,103,559 — Map.
  2. U.S.: Total confirmed cases as of 4 p.m. ET: 6,788,343 — Total deaths: 199,421 — Total recoveries: 2,577,446 — Total tests: 94,211,463 — Map.
  3. Politics: Testing czar on Trump's CDC contradictions: "Everybody is right" — Ex-FDA chief: Career scientists won't be "easily cowed" by political vaccine pressure
  4. Education: What we overlooked in the switch to remote learning
  5. Health: The dwindling chances of eliminating COVID-19.
  6. World: England sets £10,000 fine for breaking self-isolation rules — The countries painting their pandemic recoveries green.
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