Nearly 72,000 children tested positive for Covid-19 in a single week

Childhood Covid-19 cases in the United States appear to be on the rise after a slight decline in early summer, according to the latest report from the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP). Nearly 72,000 children have reportedly tested positive for Covid-19 in a single week, which is a significant jump from the weekly number of pediatric Covid-19 cases reported in previous weeks.

According to data collected and shared by the AAP in partnership with the Children’s Hospital Association, 71,726 children tested positive for Covid-19 between July 22 and July 29. This is almost double the 38,654 cases of Covid-19 reported in children the previous week and more than three times the 23,551 cases reported in children from July 8 to 15.

In the week starting July 22, children accounted for 19% of weekly Covid-19 cases, an increase from 16.8% the week before and 15.9% the week before. In fact, the AAP reported that in just two weeks (July 15 to July 29), cases of Covid-19 in children increased by 3%.

Since the start of the pandemic in March 2020, more than 4.2 million people worldwide have died from Covid-19, including more than 614,000 in the United States, according to data from Johns Hopkins University. Overall, more than 200 million people have contracted the virus worldwide, including more than 35 million in the United States.

According to the AAP, more than 4.1 million children have contracted Covid-19 in the United States since the start of the pandemic and children represent about 14.3% of the cumulative cases in the country. Currently, only children aged 12 and older are eligible to receive a Covid-19 vaccine, although several vaccine manufacturers are currently testing their vaccines on children as young as six months old.

Yet the AAP continued to argue that severe Covid-19 disease is rare in children. And this claim appears to be consistent with data from the AAP, which showed that children make up between 1.3% and 3.5% of total cumulative hospitalizations for reporting states with between 0.1% and 1.9%. of all cases of Covid-19 children resulting in hospitalization.

But doctors in some states have expressed concern over the number of children recently hospitalized with the virus. According to Miami Herald, 135 children were hospitalized in Florida on Tuesday with confirmed cases of Covid-19. Only Texas reported a higher number, with 142 children across the state reportedly hospitalized on Tuesday, the newspaper reported.

While two children reportedly died from Covid-19 at Le Bonheur Children’s Hospital in Memphis, Tennessee, last weekend, children continue to represent a small segment of overall Covid-19 deaths. According to the AAP, children accounted for 0.00% to 0.26% of all Covid-19 deaths in all reporting states.

If you think you show coronavirus symptoms, which include fever, shortness of breath, and cough, call your doctor before going for testing. If you are concerned about the spread of the virus in your community, visit the CDC for up-to-date information and resources, or to search mental health support. You can find all Romper’s parents + coronavirus coverage here.