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Doctors are reporting a worrying trend amid a spike in coronavirus cases in the United States: More children are also contracting the virus. According to data compiled by the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), there has been a 28% increase in COVID-19 cases in children during the first two weeks of November.
Data showed 256,091 new cases in children for the period November 5 to 19, bringing the total number of reported cases in children to nearly 1.2 million. Additionally, data found more than 144,000 new cases among children this week, which “is by far the highest weekly increase since the start of the pandemic,” according to the AAP.
Hospitalizations and deaths in this group remain low.
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“At present, it appears that serious illnesses from COVID-19 are rare in children,” the group of doctors said. “However, there is an urgent need to collect more data on the long-term impacts of the pandemic on children, including the ways in which the virus can adversely affect the long-term physical health of infected children, as well as its effects. on emotional and mental health.
Of the more than 12.4 million reported cases of COVID-19 in the United States, children account for about 11.8% of illnesses, according to the AAP. However, doctors noted that of this group, between 0.2% and 5.6% of illnesses result in hospitalization, which nationally calculates between 1.2% and 3.1% of total related hospitalizations. coronavirus reported.
Child deaths from the coronavirus also remain low, with between 0.00-0.23% of deaths from COVID-19 involving people under the age of 18. There are still 17 states that have not seen pediatric deaths from the coronavirus.
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The coronavirus in children has been a hotbed of discussions for local officials and concerned parents as regions with peak cases struggle to move school online or keep classrooms open. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) director Robert Redfield last week told a White House Coronavirus Task Force briefing that schools are one of the safest places for kids.
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“The infections that we identified in schools when they were assessed were not acquired in schools,” he said. “They were actually acquired in the community and in the household. The truth is, for kids in Kindergarten to Grade 12, one of the safest places they can be, from our perspective, is to stay in school, and it’s really important to keep track of data, making sure not to make emotional decisions about what to close and what not to close.
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Many have expressed concerns about an expected increase in cases after the Thanksgiving holiday. As such, local officials announced warrants and bans on large gatherings, while the CDC begged Americans to cancel travel plans and opt for small family gatherings instead.
In addition, the pandemic is playing a role in children’s mental health. A recent CDC report found an increase in mental health-related emergency room visits among children 18 and under, starting in April and remaining high through October.
“We need to recognize and address the impact of lockdowns and school closures on children’s mental health,” Dr. John Whyte, chief medical officer of the WebMD healthcare website, told Fox News.
Madeline Farber of Fox News contributed to this report.
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