Prairie State Wire

COVID-19's Delta variant isn't more dangerous to children, a right-leaning public policy publication said in a recent analysis of U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) data.

Analysis of CDC and IDPH data found that the Delta variant isn't making young people sicker than did previous strains and that hospitalizations for children and adolescents with the variant is similar to what was seen in previous strains, Wirepoints reported.

Illinois state Sen. John Curran (R-Lemont) | senatorcurran.com/

"Fortunately, COVID continues to largely spare the lives of Illinois children," Wirepoints said in its analysis. "And the good news is, all the recent Delta numbers are trending downward. Let’s hope it continues."

Wirepoints' analysis results was in line with what American Academy of Pediatrics Vice Chair Dr. Sean O’Leary said in a Time news store published in August, that "there is no evidence that the Delta variant is causing more severe disease than previous strains."

Wirepoints also cited a UK study published in MedRxiv earlier this month that also found the Delta variant doesn't appear to cause more severe disease in children than has previous COVID variants.

Currently, everyone 12 and older is eligible to get a COVID-19 vaccination and many are getting booster shots. Almost 55% fully vaccinated of Illinoisans are fully vaccinated.

Wirepoints' analysis found that the number of daily child admissions in this state "is still stuck within the same range that's existed throughout the pandemic" and that the wave of Delta in Illinois has not cause a higher rate of child fatalities.

"It's important to put Illinois' COVID numbers in perspective," Wirepoints said, citing CDC reports that 18 Illinois children aged 17 and younger died of the virus over the past 18 months.

"While the death of every child is tragic, compare the 18 deaths to those from simple accidents in Illinois," Wirepoints said. "Parents let their kids ride bikes, go to the lake or drive cars, not realizing that those activities can result in far more deaths than COVID has."

The Wirepoints analysis followed Illinois state Sen. John Curran (R-Lemont)'s grilling of Illinois School Board of Education officials over Gov. J.B. Pritzker's schools mask mandate. Curran also questioned why the private Timothy Christian Middle School had been placed on probation for flouting the mask mandate.

"What due process was Timothy Christian afforded in the decision that was made the same day to pull the recognition process?" Curran asked during a Senate Joint Committee on Administrative Rules meeting. "Is the lack of due process, or alleged lack of due process for those school districts, is that a subject of any of the pending litigation?"

In July, the IDPH recommended in a Twitter post that children in child care should be kept home if they are sick and that they should wear a fitted mask while indoors and in crowded outdoor spaces.