The week's best parenting advice: May 19, 2020

Why COVID-19 is different for kids, how to know if it's safe to go back to school, and more

A child and coronavirus.
(Image credit: Illustrated | iStock)

1. Why coronavirus is different for kids

Most kids with COVID-19 will have mild symptoms, or none at all, while adults are more likely to experience severe side effects. Why does this disease present so differently in children than in adults? Researchers have several theories. One is that kids' immune systems are just better at fighting brand new pathogens, while adults "might be better armed against familiar threats," like the seasonal flu, explains Sarah Zhang at The Atlantic. A newly identified coronavirus-linked disease called "pediatric multi-system inflammatory syndrome" (PMIS) is landing a small number of children in the hospital weeks after they had COVID-19. Why isn't this happening to adults, too? As Zhang explains, delayed viral immune responses like these aren't uncommon, and they're more often seen in children than in adults. While the headlines are scary, remember that PMIS is rare. "When a virus infects hundreds of thousands of people, even the extremely rare complications that affect only a fraction of a percent of patients will become more obvious," Zhang says.

Subscribe to The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE
https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/flexiimages/jacafc5zvs1692883516.jpg

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up
Explore More
Jessica Hullinger

Jessica Hullinger is a writer and former deputy editor of The Week Digital. Originally from the American Midwest, she completed a degree in journalism at Indiana University Bloomington before relocating to New York City, where she pursued a career in media. After joining The Week as an intern in 2010, she served as the title’s audience development manager, senior editor and deputy editor, as well as a regular guest on “The Week Unwrapped” podcast. Her writing has featured in other publications including Popular Science, Fast Company, Fortune, and Self magazine, and she loves covering science and climate-related issues.