8:44 p.m. ET, July 22, 2020
Fact check: Trump suggests that kids don't easily transmit coronavirus. Here's what we know.
From CNN's Tara Subramaniam
President Donald Trump speaks during a news conference at the White House in Washington, DC on July 22.
Evan Vucci/AP
During Wednesday’s briefing, President Trump continued to advocate for schools opening in the fall. In support of this he claimed that “a lot of people” say children “don’t transmit” coronavirus.
“They don't catch it easily, they don't bring it home easily,” Trump added. “And if they do catch it, they get better fast.”
Facts First: While children infected with coronavirus are less likely to develop severe symptoms than adults, not all “get better fast,” like Trump claimed. Furthermore, several studies suggest that children can and do transmit the virus.
According to one recent study from the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, children between 10 and 19 years old may transmit coronavirus just as much as adults.
“Although the detection rate for contacts of preschool-aged children was lower, young children may show higher attack rates when the school closure ends, contributing to community transmission of Covid-19,” the study said.
Both the National Institutes of Health and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are also
studying families and households to better understand the role children play in transmitting the virus. But as of June 30, CDC Director Robert Redfield
said, "We don't know the impact that children have yet on the transmission cycle."
As a result, even though children appear to be affected less commonly or severely than adults, returning to school still poses certain risks.
"Relatively few children with COVID-19 are hospitalized, and fewer children than adults experience fever, cough, or shortness of breath," the CDC said in an
article for pediatric health care providers published in late May. However, the article also noted that "severe outcomes have been reported in children including COVID-19 associated deaths.”