Topline
As Covid-19 cases rise among younger Americans, the U.S. continues to set new records in pediatric hospitalizations. Experts warn that the worst is yet to come.
A school employee wearing personal protective equipment (PPE), takes the temperature of a child. Getty Images
The Key Facts
Data from the Department of Health and Human Services show that nearly 2,200 children have been hospitalized in America with Covid-19. This includes confirmed and suspected coronavirus-linked hospitalizations. This is more than half the number of children hospitalized with Covid-19 since August's beginning, when Dr. Francis Collins, National Institutes of Health Director, said that a record 1,450 children were admitted to hospital. It also represents a 15% increase over last week, when Reuters reported another record of 1,900 children hospitalized. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the number of Covid-19-infected children admitted to hospitals each day has reached a new high of 309, which is 2,163 children per week. However, this statistic does not include children who were hospitalized for other reasons and have tested positive for the virus. According to the CDC, 14 states, many of which have lower vaccination rates than the national average, set new records for child Covid-19 hospitalizations since August. These include Alabama, Florida, Georgia and Mississippi. According to the CDC, Georgia has 1.43 children per 100,000 residents. Florida (1.38), Alabama (1.6) and Louisiana (8.83) are the states with the highest admission rates.
Important Background
Children have been hospitalized in greater numbers in those states based in the Southern U.S., with more cases and hospitalizations being caused by the more dangerous delta variant. As there is no evidence that delta causes children more illness than other variants, the uptick in coronavirus cases has been linked to an increase in child hospitalizations. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics more than 180,000 children tested positive in the week ending August 19. This is nearly four times the number of cases reported from June, when only 39,000 cases were reported. This is due to an increase in respiratory syncytial viruses (RSV), which can be contagious and seasonal flu. Experts believe that RSV infections usually spike during winter flu season. However, the number of respiratory infections is likely to rise now due to social distancing and masking to prevent Covid-19 infection. Many pediatric hospitals are experiencing capacity overloads due to these surges. According to The Wall Street Journal, the Children's Hospital New Orleans' pediatric ICU has been filled for several weeks. The protection of the vaccine is not available to children under 12, and the rates of inoculation for those who are eligible are still low.
Important Quote
This is a change from what we have seen before. The Journal was not able to sustain those numbers several months back, Nick Hysmith (the medical director of infection prevention at Le Bonheur Childrens Hospital, Memphis, Tenn.) said. His facility has only a few children with Covid-19 in it, including two ICU patients. Many of these children don't have any underlying conditions, he said.
What to Watch
Experts expect the situation to worsen as students return to school nationwide, which is already causing an increase in Covid-19 cases. Forbes reported that tens of thousands were in quarantine as a result of mask mandates being placed in schools in many states. CNBC's Dr. Mobeen Rathore, an epidemicologist at Wolfson Childrens Hospital in Jacksonville, said that 503 coronavirus cases were reported in Duval County Public Schools in the first nine days. According to the CDC, MIS-C has already affected 4,404 children and claimed the lives of 37 others since the outbreak.
Contra
According to the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), hospitalizations and deaths from Covid-19 are not common among children. They found that children were responsible for between 1.6% and 3.6% of total state hospitalizations and between 0.022% and 0.22% of all Covid-19-related deaths. According to the AAP, hospitalization was reported in 0.2% to 1.9% of child Covid-19 cases. The pediatrics group issued an urgent appeal for data collection to determine the longer-term effects of the pandemic on children, from long-term mental and emotional side effects to long-term physical health.
Continue reading
Covid-19 is being used more frequently in children's hospitals, and doctors fear it will get worse (The Wall Street Journal).
Alabama sets a new record for children hospitalized with covid (Forbes).
