This archive report was first published on 8 August 2020.
Children's Syndrome Linked to Covid-19 Shows Racial Disparities ¶
A new report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (C.D.C.) has revealed racial disparities in a syndrome connected to Covid-19 among children in America. The report, published on August 8, 2020, shows that hundreds of children in America, most of them previously healthy, have experienced an inflammatory syndrome associated with Covid-19.
According to the report, the syndrome, which can be deadly, has rattled parents and education officials as schools across the United States struggle with the prospect of reopening in the fall and the coronavirus continues its spread. The researchers said that from early March to late July, the C.D.C. received reports of 570 young people — ranging from infants to age 20 — who met the definition of the new condition, called Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in Children (MIS-C).
The patients were disproportionately people of color, echoing a pattern in adults who have been struck by the respiratory disease caused by the virus. About 40 percent were Hispanic or Latino, 33 percent were Black, and 13 percent were white, the report said. The median age was 8. About 25 percent of the patients had obesity before becoming sick.
Meanwhile, the White House and Democrats remain deeply divided on an economic recovery package. Crisis negotiations between the two sides teetered on the brink of collapse on Friday, August 7, 2020, as both sides said they remained deeply divided on the package and President Trump indicated that he was prepared to act on his own to provide relief.
At a news conference on Friday evening at his golf resort in Bedminster, N.J., Mr. Trump said that if an aid agreement with congressional Democrats could not be reached, he would sign executive orders reinstating a national moratorium on evictions, deferring student loan interest and payments “until further notice,” and “enhancing unemployment benefits” through the end of the year.
The Gaza Strip, meanwhile, has imposed new restrictions on movement outside the territory to combat the virus. The authorities that control Gaza’s borders have imposed new restrictions on movement outside the territory, exacerbating an already challenging situation for Palestinians who say they urgently need to travel to Israel and the West Bank.
Experts warn that the pandemic has not left Gaza untouched, and that the territory lacks the resources to deal with a widespread outbreak. The head of the World Health Organization’s mission to the Palestinians, Gerald Rockenschaub, said that “all it takes is one small mistake” for the virus to penetrate into the area’s densely populated cities and towns.
Are Illicit Parties Endangering New York City? ¶
As the summer wears on, mounting reports of parties, concerts, and other social events are raising fears that New York’s hard-earned stability may be tenuous. Videos and photos posted on social media have shown densely packed, mask-free crowds, sparking concerns that nightlife activity could fuel the spread of the virus.
Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo has condemned the parties, saying that they “not only violate public health, but they violate human decency.” The images contrast sharply with the memories of a brutal spring in New York that left tens of thousands dead, disproportionately ravaging low-income communities and neighborhoods with high numbers of Black and Latino people.
