Agnes Velasquez remembers the final phrases her teen daughter mentioned earlier than COVID-19 severely attacked her respiratory system.”She informed me that she beloved me,” mentioned Velasquez, who rushed her daughter to the hospital.Velasquez spoke with CNN on a video name from the ICU room the place her 15-year-old daughter, Paulina, has been battling COVID-19 for about 10 days.”She will hear me,” Velasquez mentioned.Velasquez confirmed her daughter up shut, her hair combed in a ponytail and her eyes shut. A ventilator tube covers a portion of her face.Velasquez mentioned she tells her daughter each day to, “Struggle in your life.”As this mother prays for a miracle, in English and Polish, over her daughter’s physique, she mentioned she has a message for the general public, and particularly for Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis.”The governor ought to encourage individuals to take vaccines, to put on masks, to use the rules,” Velasquez mentioned.DeSantis doubled down towards masks mandates Tuesday, after the U.S. Facilities for Illness Management and Prevention up to date its steerage recommending kids put on masks indoors no matter vaccination standing.”Mother and father know what’s greatest for his or her kids; subsequently, mother and father in Florida are empowered to make their very own selections with reference to masking,” DeSantis’ spokesperson Christina Pushaw mentioned Tuesday. “Luckily, the info point out that COVID shouldn’t be a critical danger to wholesome kids, which is why faculties in most international locations had been among the many first establishments to reopen.”Nevertheless, CDC officers say information demonstrates that kids stay in danger for COVID-19.”Should you have a look at the mortality charge of COVID, simply this previous 12 months for kids, it is greater than twice the mortality charge we see in influenza in a given 12 months,” mentioned CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky on CNN’s “New Day” Wednesday.The variety of COVID-19 circumstances in kids and teenagers is trending upwards, in line with the American Academy of Pediatrics. The group reported greater than 38,600 circumstances in kids from July 15 to 22, greater than triple what was being reported on the finish of June.In Florida, which accounted for 20% of the nation’s new circumstances earlier this month, the positivity charge has jumped to fifteen.1%, in line with state information.Dr. Aileen Marty, an infectious illness skilled at Florida Atlantic College who advises Miami-Dade County leaders on the pandemic, mentioned she shouldn’t be shocked the virus has reared its head once more in her state and throughout the nation.”In each case, we preserve leaping the gun and behaving as if the pandemic’s over as a result of case numbers are happening. And that permits the virus to as soon as once more, take the higher hand,” Marty mentioned.Marty’s recommendation? Get vaccinated and put on masks, even for these already totally vaccinated.Velasquez mentioned her daughter, who was wholesome, had not been vaccinated earlier than COVID-19 attacked her physique. She panned the digital camera to the machines displaying her daughter’s coronary heart charge and oxygen ranges. Then, she mentioned that when her daughter began feeling in poor health and could not breathe, the teenager known as on her mom asking for assist.Velasquez mentioned she rushed to her daughter’s help and not using a masks, not considering the lethal virus had already crept into her residence. Days later, the anxious mom examined constructive regardless of being vaccinated towards the virus.”I almost certainly bought it from her,” mentioned Velasquez, who solely suffered minor signs.And whereas she mentioned she does not know the place Paulina contracted the lethal virus, she mentioned it might need been in school or church.As Paulina’s signs grew to become extra extreme, her mom mentioned the teenager anxious about her brothers. “She needed her brothers to get vaccinated,” Velasquez mentioned.The anxious mom mentioned her sons are within the means of getting vaccinated. Velasquez helps coordinate their vaccines from her daughter’s ICU room, the place she now spends each hour of the day since her daughter Paulina fell in poor health.Velasquez panned the digital camera to point out the sofa the place she sleeps and the meals tray the place she arrange a pc workstation.”I got here with my daughter and I am not going wherever,” Velasquez mentioned.
Agnes Velasquez remembers the final phrases her teen daughter mentioned earlier than COVID-19 severely attacked her respiratory system.
“She informed me that she beloved me,” mentioned Velasquez, who rushed her daughter to the hospital.
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Velasquez spoke with CNN on a video name from the ICU room the place her 15-year-old daughter, Paulina, has been battling COVID-19 for about 10 days.
“She will hear me,” Velasquez mentioned.
Velasquez confirmed her daughter up shut, her hair combed in a ponytail and her eyes shut. A ventilator tube covers a portion of her face.
Velasquez mentioned she tells her daughter each day to, “Struggle in your life.”
As this mother prays for a miracle, in English and Polish, over her daughter’s physique, she mentioned she has a message for the general public, and particularly for Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis.
“The governor ought to encourage individuals to take vaccines, to put on masks, to use the [COVID-19] tips,” Velasquez mentioned.
DeSantis doubled down towards masks mandates Tuesday, after the U.S. Facilities for Illness Management and Prevention up to date its steerage recommending kids put on masks indoors no matter vaccination standing.
“Mother and father know what’s greatest for his or her kids; subsequently, mother and father in Florida are empowered to make their very own selections with reference to masking,” DeSantis’ spokesperson Christina Pushaw mentioned Tuesday. “Luckily, the info point out that COVID shouldn’t be a critical danger to wholesome kids, which is why faculties in most international locations had been among the many first establishments to reopen.”
Nevertheless, CDC officers say information demonstrates that kids stay in danger for COVID-19.
“Should you have a look at the mortality charge of COVID, simply this previous 12 months for kids, it is greater than twice the mortality charge we see in influenza in a given 12 months,” mentioned CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky on CNN’s “New Day” Wednesday.
The variety of COVID-19 circumstances in kids and teenagers is trending upwards, in line with the American Academy of Pediatrics. The group reported greater than 38,600 circumstances in kids from July 15 to 22, greater than triple what was being reported on the finish of June.
In Florida, which accounted for 20% of the nation’s new circumstances earlier this month, the positivity charge has jumped to fifteen.1%, according to state information.
Dr. Aileen Marty, an infectious illness skilled at Florida Atlantic College who advises Miami-Dade County leaders on the pandemic, mentioned she shouldn’t be shocked the virus has reared its head once more in her state and throughout the nation.
“In each case, we preserve leaping the gun and behaving as if the pandemic’s over as a result of case numbers are happening. And that permits the virus to as soon as once more, take the higher hand,” Marty mentioned.
Marty’s recommendation? Get vaccinated and put on masks, even for these already totally vaccinated.
Velasquez mentioned her daughter, who was wholesome, had not been vaccinated earlier than COVID-19 attacked her physique. She panned the digital camera to the machines displaying her daughter’s coronary heart charge and oxygen ranges. Then, she mentioned that when her daughter began feeling in poor health and could not breathe, the teenager known as on her mom asking for assist.
Velasquez mentioned she rushed to her daughter’s help and not using a masks, not considering the lethal virus had already crept into her residence. Days later, the anxious mom examined constructive regardless of being vaccinated towards the virus.
“I almost certainly bought it from her,” mentioned Velasquez, who solely suffered minor signs.
And whereas she mentioned she does not know the place Paulina contracted the lethal virus, she mentioned it might need been in school or church.
As Paulina’s signs grew to become extra extreme, her mom mentioned the teenager anxious about her brothers. “She needed her brothers to get vaccinated,” Velasquez mentioned.
The anxious mom mentioned her sons are within the means of getting vaccinated. Velasquez helps coordinate their vaccines from her daughter’s ICU room, the place she now spends each hour of the day since her daughter Paulina fell in poor health.
Velasquez panned the digital camera to point out the sofa the place she sleeps and the meals tray the place she arrange a pc workstation.
“I got here with my daughter and I am not going wherever,” Velasquez mentioned.
