Rise of Delta Variant Leads to Record Number of COVID Child Hospitalizations in United States

The number of children hospitalized with COVID-19 has reached an all-time high in the United States, as the Delta variant continues to generate a nationwide wave of new infections.

Data from the Department of Health and Human Services showed just over 1,900 children had been hospitalized with COVID-19 on Saturday, Reuters first reported. The number of hospitalizations linked to the novel coronavirus has increased particularly in the South, the latest data from HHS showing that nationwide, the number of people aged 18-29, 30-39 and 40-49 visiting in the hospital over the past week also hit record highs.

Children currently represent about 2.4% of COVID-19 hospital patients nationwide. More than 72,500 people are currently hospitalized with COVID-19 across the country, according to a New York Times tracker. This represents an increase of almost 75% over the past two weeks.

Nationally, the United States averages over 128,000 new infections every day. Florida, Texas and California are seeing the biggest increases in terms of numbers. In Florida, more than 21,000 infections on average are reported each day, while Texas has recorded nearly 14,000 and California has reported nearly 12,000.

Meanwhile, just under 60% of the U.S. population has received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine. Half of the population received both injections. Children under the age of 12 cannot receive any vaccines, but the Pfizer vaccine has been urgently approved for children 12 and older.

“This is not last year’s COVID. This one is worse and our children will be the most affected,” Sally Goza, former president of the American Academy of Pediatrics, told CNN in an interview on Saturday.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has issued guidelines that schools should require students, teachers and staff to wear masks when school resumes to curb the spread of the virus. But some Republican governors have rejected the directive, even trying to ban schools from requiring masks.

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, who is widely regarded as a 2024 presidential hopeful, has received a major backlash for his efforts to ban mask mandates in his state’s schools. More than 800 doctors associated with a leftist political group criticized DeSantis in an open letter this week.

As the virus burns across Florida, healthcare providers believe we are fighting this fire without any leadership from Governor Ron DeSantis. Preventing communities from making local decisions to protect themselves with his one, top-down edict does only make matters worse, ”the doctors wrote.

News week contacted the Department of Health and Human Services for further comment, but did not immediately receive a response.