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More El Paso kids getting Covid, but too soon to know if school re-openings fuel spread

EL PASO, Texas -- It's still too soon to know how kids going back to the classroom will impact community spread in the Borderland, according to a local physician, but cases in kids and teens are starting to slowly increase in El Paso.

According to local data, on the week of Aug. 2, the first week of school, there were 309 active cases in children to the age of 19. The following week, 373 active cases were reported. This week, El Paso's public health department reported 501 active cases in that age group.

For parents with kids back in school, understand there's a high likelihood that your children who can't be vaccinated will be exposed to Covid. There's a reasonable likelihood they will get infected with the Delta variant, and bring it home," said Dr. Edward Michaelson with Texas Tech University Health Sciences of El Paso.

However, El Paso's Covid-19 rates are doing much better compared to the rest of the country.

On Saturday, 1,900 children nationwide were hospitalized with Covid-19 -- a record high in the U.S.

According to CDC data, more kids are being infected with the virus across the country. Data shows for 100,000 cases, 418 kids ages up to the age of 17 have Covid-19, compared to this time last year, 177 kids were infected for every 100,000 cases.

Michaelson said we likely won't know the effects from the start of school until this week or next. His recommendation, including those who are vaccinated, is to wear a mask.

"We don't want to get to the point that we need to lock down and that we affect people's livelihoods. The best way to get those two results is to make sure that everyone gets vaccinated, particularly our teens and really encouraged them to wear masks," Michaelson said.

"The fact we don't have a (mask) mandate really is a political decision. It's not medical advice. The best medical advice for all of us is to continue to wear masks even those of us who are vaccinated."

Dr. Hector Ocaranza, El Paso City/County Health Authority, issued a new mask mandate for 30 days in El Paso, which includes schools. It goes into effect Wednesday.

Article Topic Follows: Education

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Brianna Chavez

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