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Schools without mask requirements experiencing higher COVID-19 case rates

State report shows differences
Posted at 5:48 PM, Oct 25, 2021
and last updated 2021-10-25 17:48:46-04

LANSING, Mich. (WXYZ) — Statewide the CDC says the risk of COVID-19 is high, but the risk of getting sick appears to be increasing for children.

The Michigan COVID-19 Response Data and Modeling update released by the state last week reveals that case increases are the largest in school-aged children.

“More of the majority of new outbreaks, over 60% of new outbreaks are in youth settings,” said Andrew Brouwer, who is currently an Assistant Research Scientist in the Department of Epidemiology at the University of Michigan.

So how do we protect children? Brouwer says he knows it has been politicized and many have emotional opinions, but the math shows that masks protect children.

Districts without mask requirements clearly are experiencing higher case rates.

“After school started we really started seeing community transmission explode in those districts without mask mandates. Those that had mask mandates and partial requirements, those are still increasing because we are having the delta surge now, but at a much lower rate,” said Brouwer.

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