[ad_1]
New cases of COVID-19 are rising faster in Colorado children than adults, and children’s hospitalizations have also increased – albeit modestly.
New coronavirus infections in Colorado children began to rise in July, along with adult cases. In recent weeks, however, the rise has been faster in school-aged children than in adults, although it is not clear whether returning to school directly results in this transmission.
Other possible factors include the natural tendency for the viral spread to accelerate over time, as well as activities such as sports and summer camps, state epidemiologist Dr Rachel said on Tuesday. Herlihy, during a press conference.
“Our unvaccinated children are at greater risk than at any time during the pandemic,” she said. “Now would not be the time to bring unvaccinated children to large gatherings.”
Since early August, Colorado has identified outbreaks of COVID-19 in 14 schools, eight daycares, a summer camp and a vacation Bible school class. The state defines an outbreak as five or more cases related to the same place or event.
People 19 and under accounted for just over 26% of all new COVID-19 cases in Colorado the week of August 22, compared to less than 19% of all cases the week of August 1, data shows from the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment.
Childhood hospitalizations have increased slightly, although they still represent only about 2% of all people receiving hospital care for COVID-19 in Colorado. On Monday, 10 children under 12 and seven between 12 and 17 were hospitalized in the state, Herlihy said. More than 700 adults have been hospitalized and most are not vaccinated, she said.
Scott Bookman, the state’s COVID-19 incident commander, said Colorado has more than 900 pediatric hospital beds and 28 pediatric intensive care beds. Only about a third of ventilators designed for children are currently in use, he said.
To protect children, parents should encourage them to wear masks in school and other indoor public spaces, have them wash their hands often, and try to avoid crowded places where viruses can easily spread. Herlihy said. Schools can also reduce the risk of outbreaks with frequent testing and proper ventilation, she said.
“It’s all of these things (together) that are going to give us the best chance” of containing the virus, she said.
Sarah Hamma, branch manager for community COVID testing and supplier partnerships, said the state offers weekly testing for schools to limit the spread of the virus and try to keep classes in session.
So far, 447 schools have decided to participate, either by contracting with a supplier who will test teachers and students weekly, or by administering the tests themselves, with supplies provided by the state, a- she declared. Participating schools can start testing as early as September 7, if they have completed the paperwork.
Another concern is that cases of respiratory syncytial virus, or RSV, are on the rise, Herlihy said. In adults, RSV typically causes cold symptoms that are just bothersome, but it can be dangerous for infants and children with diseases that affect their lungs or immune system, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Typically, RSV cases start to increase in late fall and decrease as spring approaches, but hardly anyone got sick from it last year, potentially leaving more susceptible children this year. , Herlihy said. Most states are reporting a similar pattern, perhaps because measures to contain COVID-19 have stopped the spread of other respiratory viruses over the winter.
It is possible that a similar pattern will emerge with the flu, which had an unusually mild season in 2020, Herlihy said. She advised adults and children to get the flu shot, to try to minimize the impact.
“We’ve never seen this before,” she said.
[ad_2]
Source link