How School Closures Harmed Children's Mental Health
Children have lost a lot over the past year: time in school with their teachers and peers, the ability to play easily with friends, and carefree feelings of safety and joy. Though COVID-19 is not as physically deadly to children as it is to adults, it has had an indirect—but indisputable—impact on children emotionally.
Research published yesterday in JAMA Network Open bears this out, my colleague Jeffrey Kluger reports. The study, from researchers at Northwestern University, surveyed thousands of caregivers in Chicago about their school-age children before and after schools shut down and remote-learning began. The results were "striking," says Jeff. Every single negative trait they measured rose, and each positive trait fell. Signs of loneliness and anger escalated, for example, while exhibits of hope and positivity dropped. "The kids weren't suffering on just a few of the metrics that the researchers studied, but on all of them," says Jeff.
The researchers surveyed ethnically and racially diverse families, offering insight into how demographics played a role. While Black and Hispanic/Latinx children fared better than White children on some metrics, including loneliness and self-harm, "I was also struck—and saddened—by how much Black and Latinx kids were suffering from additional stressors, like parents losing jobs or health insurance," Jeff says. "It was no wonder that one of the key takeaways from the study was the researchers' argument that we must do more to address systemic inequality in health care."
None of this is necessarily surprising. In fact, many public health experts warned of these negative potential consequences at the start of the pandemic. "Yet we didn't have the wherewithal—or perhaps the time—to get ameliorative measures in place, like expanding virtual support groups or tele-mental health so that all kids could have access to it," Jeff says. Hopefully we do so before the next pandemic hits.
About 308.7 million doses of the COVID-19 vaccine have been shipped to various U.S. states as of this afternoon, of which 240.1 million doses have been administered thus far, according to TIME's vaccine tracker. About 30.5% of Americans have been completely vaccinated.
Pfizer and BioNTech announced yesterday that they will start shipping smaller packages of its COVID-19 vaccine by the end of May, my colleague Alice Park reports. One pack currently holds about 1,100 doses, which worked well for mass vaccination sites, but may be too large for doctors' offices and pharmacies. The new packs will contain just 450 doses each, which the companies hope will make storage more manageable for smaller sites.
Turkey gave Russia's Sputnik V vaccine emergency use authorization today, Turkish health minister Dr. Fahrettin Koca said on Twitter. It will become the third vaccine available in the country, joining China's Sinovac and the Pfizer-BioNTech shot. Earlier this week, Turkey made a deal for 50 million doses of Sputnik V, which will start arriving next month. Turkey is currently under a three-week lockdown as cases there surge. So far, only about 16% of Turkey's population has been at least partially vaccinated.
France will open up vaccination to all adults 18 and over starting June 15, French President Emmanuel Macron announced today. He added that people 50 and older will be able to get vaccinated earlier, starting May 15. Right now, only people 55 and over qualify for the shot. Reports of hundreds of thousands of available vaccine appointments across the country suggest a large degree of vaccine hesitancy in France; some local officials are calling for eligibility to be expanded even sooner to ensure doses don't go to waste.
TODAY'S CORONAVIRUS OUTLOOK
The Global Situation
More than 150.5 million people around the world had been diagnosed with COVID-19 as of 1 a.m. E.T. today, and more than 3.1 million people have died. On April 29, there were 897,602 new cases and 14,990 new deaths confirmed globally.
Here's how the world as a whole is currently trending:
Here's where daily cases have risen or fallen over the last 14 days, shown in confirmed cases per 100,000 residents:
And here is every country with over 2.5 million confirmed cases:
The British government is taking advantage of two major outdoor events over the next few days to assess such gatherings' safety, the New York Times reports. Attendees at the gatherings—a two-day nightclub event and an outdoor music festival, both in Liverpool—must present proof of a negative COVID-19 test to gain entry, but they will not be required to wear masks or stay socially distant. They will then take another test after the events so researchers can check for related viral spread. England is aiming to drop all coronavirus restrictions by June 21.
Germany may lift restrictions on residents who have been fully vaccinated or have recovered from a COVID-19 infection, health minister Jens Spahn said today. The measure, which would exempt those residents from nightly curfews and limits on private gatherings, is controversial, since granting special freedoms to some may inflame social tensions and make restrictions harder to enforce, Reuters reports. Officials may decide on the matter by the end of next week.
The Situation in the U.S.
The U.S. had recorded more than 32.2 million coronavirus cases as of 1 a.m. E.T. today. More than 575,000 people have died. On April 29, there were 58,199 new cases and 854 new deaths confirmed in the U.S.
Here's how the country as a whole is currently trending:
Here's where daily cases have risen or fallen over the last 14 days, shown in confirmed cases per 100,000 residents:
100 million Americans are now fully vaccinated against COVID-19—meaning that they've each completed a vaccination regimen and waited the necessary two weeks for full protection—White House COVID-19 response coordinator Jeff Zients said today during a press briefing. "That's 100 million Americans with a sense of relief and peace of mind," Zients said, "knowing that after a long and hard year, they're protected from the virus."
Starting Tuesday, the Biden Administration will restrict some travelers who had recently been in India from entering the U.S., CNN reports. The rule, which comes amid India's worsening coronavirus outbreak, will not apply to American citizens, permanent residents, humanitarian workers or others with exemptions.
Disneyland reopens today—to California residents only—after being closed for more than a year. The Anaheim, Calif. theme park is open at a limited capacity, and people from no more than three households can visit together. Visitors must also wear a mask at all times except while swimming or eating, and stay socially distanced from others.
All numbers unless otherwise specified are from the Johns Hopkins University Center for Systems Science and Engineering, and are accurate as of April 30, 1 a.m. E.T. To see larger, interactive versions of these maps and charts, click here.
WHAT ELSE YOU SHOULD KNOW
The Post-Vax Dating Race is On
Vaccinated Americans are once again searching for love—especially seniors, who have the highest vaccination rates of any age demographic. (More than 80% of Americans over age 65 have gotten at least one shot.) But it's not necessarily easy to get back in the game, my colleague Tara Law reports. Read more here.
Why We Need a COVID-19 Wealth Tax
During the pandemic, the wealthiest Americans have grown richer, while low-paid Americans have suffered the worst health and economic impacts of the virus. To curb growing economic equality, law professor Daniel Markovits argues in TIME, it's necessary to redistribute wealth by taxing the richest households. Read more here.
The Least-Vaccinated Americans Are the Ones Most In Need
Counties in the U.S. whose residents have the highest health risks have some of the lowest vaccination rates, an investigation by ProPublica reveals. An emphasis on mass vaccination sites, instead of smaller, mobile events that can reach more isolated populations, is one reason why. Read more here.
Thanks for reading. We hope you find the Coronavirus Brief newsletter to be a helpful tool to navigate this very complex situation, and welcome feedback at coronavirus.brief@time.com. If you have specific questions you'd like us to answer, please send them to covidquestions@time.com.
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Today's newsletter was written by Mandy Oaklander and edited by Alex Fitzpatrick.
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