Illustration of the morphology of coronaviruses; the club-shaped viral spike peplomers, coloured red, create the look of a corona surrounding the virion, when viewed electron microscopically (from here (en.wikipedia.org))

90% of the news media is owned by five big corporations. The primary reason these companies own news media outfits is to further the interests of the corporation, not to inform us. So, we cannot trust the news media. Here is an example. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) has issued guidance indicating that our children should go back to school this fall. Here is the critical excerpt.

With the above principles in mind, the AAP strongly advocates that all policy considerations for the coming school year should start with a goal of having students physically present in school. The importance of inperson learning is well-documented, and there is already evidence of the negative impacts on children because of school closures in the spring of 2020. Lengthy time away from school and associated interruption of supportive services often results in social isolation, making it difficult for schools to identify and address important learning deficits as well as child and adolescent physical or sexual abuse, substance use, depression, and suicidal ideation. This, in turn, places children and adolescents at considerable risk of morbidity and, in some cases, mortality. Beyond the educational impact and social impact of school closures, there has been substantial impact on food security and physical activity for children and families.

Policy makers must also consider the mounting evidence regarding COVID-19 in children and adolescents, including the role they may play in transmission of the infection. SARS-CoV-2 appears to behave differently in children and adolescents than other common respiratory viruses, such as influenza, on which much of the current guidance regarding school closures is based. Although children and adolescents play a major role in amplifying influenza outbreaks, to date, this does not appear to be the case with SARS-CoV-2. Although many questions remain, the preponderance of evidence indicates that children and adolescents are less likely to be symptomatic and less likely to have severe disease resulting from SARS-CoV-2 infection. In addition, children may be less likely to become infected and to spread infection. Policies to mitigate the spread of COVID-19 within schools must be balanced with the known harms to children, adolescents, families, and the community by keeping children at home.(from here (services.aap.org))

Will you see much about this article in the news media? No. The news media wants us to remain fearful. Why? Well, we have to be wary of crony capitalism. One of the weaknesses of a republic is that large corporations have the clout to purchase influence with government officials. Therefore, instead of just reporting the news, corporations have an incentive to pick sides and advocate a viewpoint. That viewpoint can become a problem when it is based upon deceit or withholding critical information.

The people who have the most to fear from COVID-19 are the elderly (see here (cdc.gov)), not otherwise healthy children (see People Who Need to Take Extra Precautions (cdc.gov)). That is why nearly half of the fatalities have been people in nursing homes (43% of U.S. Coronavirus Deaths Are Linked to Nursing Homes (nytimes.com)). Therefore, we should make an effort to protect the elderly, but most children, except those with certain conditions that make them susceptible, have little to worry about.

What should we tell our school board? Read the entire AAP article, COVID-19 Planning Considerations: Guidance for School Re-entry, and decide for yourself.

Note that this is another example of why we need school choice. Instead of letting politicians decide what is needed to protect our children, we ought to take responsibility for our children. We love our children, not the politicians.