After admitting to a “coding logic error,” agency strikes out 24% of deaths among children
Last week, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention admitted that almost a quarter of all Covid-19-related deaths in children was due to a lack of data. “coding logic error.”The same algorithmic error led to deaths due to the virus being overcounted across all age groups.
“On March 15, 2022, data on deaths were adjusted after resolving a coding logic error. This resulted in decreased death counts across all demographic categories,” read a footnote on the CDC’s Covid Data Tracker website. Reuters received a statement from the CDC stating that it had fixed an error which led to 72,277 deaths across 26 states. It also included 416 children’s deaths.
Covid-19 has claimed the lives of more than 968,000 American citizens, according to CDC data. 784,303 of those deaths were recorded by age groups. Children accounted only for 0.17% in all Covid-19 related deaths in America, with just 1,356 being under 18 years.
Although children have a lower chance of being hospitalized and dying from Covid-19 than adults, masking schoolkids is a controversial issue in the US. The CDC late last month eased its mask guidance, stating that in areas of ‘low’ and ‘medium’ community transmission of the virus, children would no longer have to wear face masks in schools. The move was praised by American Federation of Teachers President Randi Weingarten – who until then was a staunch proponent of keeping kids masked – as offering a “safe off-ramp from universal masking.”
The National Education Association, however, still calls for schools to “act cautiously”They should not abandon all measures immediately. Officials from some states are refusing to de-mask children. Ashwin Vasan (New York City Health Commissioner) stated that last week masking children was his policy. “indefinite” policy.
Other jurisdictions have allowed children to attend school without wearing masks for over a year. Florida has never required schools to provide face masks for their children. Governor Ron DeSantis signed legislation in November that bans mandatory masking from public schools, despite the opposition of pro-mask school boards.
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