U.S. National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases Director, Dr. Anthony Fauci, a top advocate of America's draconian lockdowns during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, believes children should continue to be kept out of school until an "effective vaccine" is available.

During his testimony at a May 12 Senate hearing, Fauci said that "even at the top speed we're going we don't see a vaccine playing in the ability of individuals to get back to school... What they really want is to know if they are safe..." This alarmist position of Fauci, unsupported by the facts but trumpeted by the liberal media, prompted the coining of the term "pediatric panic porn(ography)".

A May 19 article by Dr. Andrew Bostom in Front Page Magazine called Fauci's presentation "a peculiar — and troubling — stand on the re-opening of U.S. schools."

Senator (and medical doctor) Rand Paul also disputed Fauci's position because the infection rate among children from infancy through age 18, and especially those under age 10, has remained near zero. He described how the childhood infection rate in New York City, a COVID-19 hotspot, was 0.018 percent in early May, and that in Sweden, where children continued attending school despite the pandemic, the overall mortality rate is less than that of other European countries and less than in the U.S.

During the May 12 hearing, Dr. Paul famously challenged Fauci, saying:
"As much as I respect you (Dr. Fauci), I don't think you're the end all...If we keep kids out of school for another year what's going to happen [is that] the poor and underprivileged kids are not going to learn for a full year. I think we should look at our kids getting back to school. I think it's a huge mistake if we don't open the schools in the fall."

On May 11, the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) reported the results of a study among 46 pediatric intensive care units in Canada and the U.S., which demonstrated the rarity of serious pediatric COVID-19 disease. Of those children affected by the virus, 83% had preexisting underlying medical conditions.

Mysterious Illness Tied to COVID-19 or 'Pediatric Panic Porn'?
With the supposed high risk of students returning to the classroom clearly debunked, the New York Times published an article headlined "15 Children Are Hospitalized With Mysterious Illness Possibly tied to COVID-19." The article suggested that these children "had a syndrome that doctors do not yet fully understand."

Social and alternative media exploded with a reality check. Examples include Bostom's Front Page article, New Hampshire blogger and activist Steve MacDonald's blog post, Pamela Geller's online Geller Report, and Jim Hoft's Gateway Pundit, each demonstrating that the "mysterious inflammatory condition" in children is a rare but typical occurrence every year. Hoft wrote on May 23:
"Fauci's most recent panic porn involves a rare inflammatory condition in children that is associated with respiratory infections. This uncommon condition is not unfamiliar to doctors who treat children with respiratory infections. But it does make good headlines for the fake news media during a pandemic."

President Trump has indicated he favors a reopening of schools by late summer, noting that "[Y]oung people are very little affected by this (COVID-19). We have to get the schools open..." The president added that care must be taken with older teachers by giving them a longer period of time before returning to the classroom.

Bostom charged Fauci with "once again creating panic porn to scare American parents," calling it "totally irresponsible." He encouraged all concerned citizens to ignore the liberal media hype and support a timely reopening of U.S. schools.

Want to be notified of new Education Reporter content?
Your information will NOT be sold or shared and will ONLY be used to notify you of new content.
Click Here

Return to Home PageEducation Reporter Online - Summer 2020