Nearly 100,000 children tested positive for covid in past two weeks

 Nearly 100,000 children tested positive for COVID-19 in the last two weeks of July, just weeks ahead of schools reopening in some states amid the pandemic.

 In total 97,000 children tested positive for the novel coronavirus from July 16 to July 30, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics.

 Today there are more than five million cases of COVID-19 in the country and over 162,000 deaths.  Out of those infections more than 338,000 were children.

 Dr. Tina Hartert of Vanderbilt University says increased testing of children will be the key to determining their role in transmitting the virus - data more important than ever as some school districts return to in-person class this month.

 She's leading a government-funded study where DIY testing kits were sent to some 2,000 families.

 'The kits are shipped to the families, they are taught how to collect these samples, and then the samples are sent back by the families to a central repository,' she said in an interview with CBS News.

The two largest school districts in California - Los Angeles and San Diego - which runs a combined K-12 student population of 720,000 decided to start the school year via remote learning due to rising coronavirus hospitalizations and rising infection rates in the state.

 New York, on the other hand will be open this fall, as mayor Bill De Blasio pledged officials 'have worked incessantly to get this right'.

 On Friday the mayor assured officials looked at examples of returning to in-person school 'from all around the world' to assure kids would be safe.

 De Blasio said parents had until Friday night to register students for in-person instruction, remote learning or a hybrid system.

 While the virus was initially said to hit children less severely than adults, more than 25 children died from the coronavirus in July alone.

 Now teachers and school districts grapple with how to educate students while maintaining social distancing, protecting students, and themselves.

 In Niles, Michigan Superintendent Dan Applegate believes having Plexiglas in the classroom will help students, especially those who need extra attention, be able to participate in class without a mask.