While the US was still attempting to create an awareness of the dire need for vaccination and create urgency among people to get vaccinated, the Delta variant hit the country and set this campaign back. The Delta variant is notorious for its ability to spread quickly and attack the immune system.
Countries like Australia have noted that the variant has affected many people even with the lockdown restrictions. In fact, the US is now deciding whether to give a third booster shot to its citizens to curb the spread of this dangerous variant.
Many Young Children Severely Ill and Hospitalized
One of the worst affected people by the delta variant is now, unfortunately, many young children. After the infection rate was lowering and there were hopes for normalcy, many children wear eager to go back to school. However, this recent development is likely to force US schools to remain shut again for a long time.
Recent Reopening of Schools a Big Cause for Outbreak
So far, the schools were making sure that all the students and teachers wore masks and followed the proper social distancing guidelines. However, sources reveal that many outbreaks happened due to the reopening of schools, especially in the South. A big reason for this has to do with the unwillingness of many parents, teachers, and children to follow the mandate to wear masks. The low vaccination rates have also contributed to this outbreak.
The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recently revealed in its study that a startling number of more than 15 percent of children are infected with the covid-19 virus. Many of them are extremely ill and hospitalized.
Reliance on Virtual Learning May Likely Continue
There may be a heavy reliance on virtual education systems again. In fact, it was recently found that over 1 million children have not been enrolled in schools. This is not only due to the safety concerns of the parents but also due to the issues of inequity in healthcare and income.
Virtual academies are on the rise. Most parents prefer to keep their children close to them and find it comfortable to sign up their children for virtual programs and for their children to receive remote instruction from the teachers.
However, most parents are not happy with this version of learning. Many children experience frustration and are even prone to developing mental illnesses with the stressful lifestyle of virtual learning. They miss the normalcy of sitting with their friends in the classroom and playing in recess.
Moreover, the statistics show that distance learning so far was not good for the grades of children. However, the pandemic seems to have forced innovation and change in the virtual learning methods. Hence, children may likely receive more personalized learning.
To Sum Up
US President Joe Biden has also expressed his concern over this recent trend of the delta variant affecting children. He recently made a plea for people to get vaccinated and asked them to reconsider, calling out this trend as a “pandemic of the unvaccinated.”
