State Epidemiologist Explains COVID Impact On Youth

With back to school looming and many districts concerned about COVID-19 outbreaks as kids return to the classroom, South Dakota Epidemiologist Dr. Joshua Clayton gave a breakdown Thursday on how COVID-19 is affecting the state’s youth.   Clayton says as of Monday, more than one-thousand cases have been among those 0-to-19 years of age.  Further breaking that down, he says 322 of those have been among those 0-to-9 and 737 among those ages 10-to-19. Dr. Clayton says there is very little difference in the symptoms between the two groups and it’s affecting those with chronic conditions the worst.

Dr. Clayton says the chronic conditions they are seeing include heart, lung or kidney disease, diabetes, immune or neurologic problems or being a smoker. He says four-percent of the 0-to-9 cases have been hospitalized and two-percent of those who are 10-to-19 years of age have had to be hospitalized.