What Families Need to Know as Pediatric Covid Cases Rise in Pennsylvania

As covid-19 cases in children continue to rise, a Pittsburgh doctor said while precautions are good to keep in mind, keeping children in school is also important. , even if they are too young to be vaccinated.

Covid-19 cases have increased again, fueled by the highly contagious delta variant. In Allegheny County, children 12 and under accounted for 12% of covid-19 cases last month, up from 9% in June. In June, 67 children in this age group tested positive for the virus. By August, the number had risen to 773.

From August 16 to September 8, there were 193 cases of covid-19 in children 4 years of age or younger in Allegheny County, according to data from the Department of Health which tracks coronavirus cases during the year school. Statewide, there have been 2,701 cases in this age group.

Among children aged 5 to 18, there have been 1,049 cases in Allegheny County and more than 13,500 across the Commonwealth since the start of the school year.

Amid the surge in pediatric cases of covid-19, Dr Joseph Aracri, president of the Allegheny Health Network Pediatric Institute, explained what the increase means for families and the new school year:

Question: Why are we now witnessing this increase in pediatric cases?

Reply: “It’s not so much the number of children, but the percentage of the population. More children than adults receive it because adults are vaccinated, especially the elderly. Young children cannot be vaccinated. Also, what we saw last year was that the kids weren’t in school so they weren’t exposed to covid. They mainly received lust from parents who brought him home, as they did not leave the house. Now they have more access to covid than last year. Children are becoming more and more active in society.

Q: Is any of the covid-19 variants, like the delta variant, more dangerous for children?

A: “In general, none of the variants were found to have more severe symptoms. They all have roughly the same symptoms and the same severity. The only thing is that the Delta is more contagious than the other variants. But children generally do very well when they are infected. ”

Q: What can families do to protect children from covid-19, especially those who are too young to be vaccinated?

A: “The most important thing you can do as a family is to immunize everyone who can be vaccinated. Make sure that all family members that your child comes in contact with are immunized.

Q: With masks now mandatory in schools, why is the mask important for children?

A: “It is very important to remember that masks alone do not stop the spread of the coronavirus. Masking must be part of the whole.

Q: How safe is it to send children, including those who are too young to be vaccinated, to school as cases of covid-19 to augment?

A: “I think the most important thing for our kids in general is in-person education. We saw last year that there were significant issues for children with reduced learning and emotional problems not being in school. It is more important for these children to be in school than to worry about them catching covid in school. ”

Q: Do you think school closures would be justified if cases continue to increase?

A: “You have to look at the viral load, the number of cases in the school and make the appropriate decision for that school. If you see a large outbreak involving a large number of children in a room, you may want to consider closing that school hall for a while. If you see a majority of a school’s population changing classes, you might consider closing for a short time. This needs to be taken on a case-by-case basis and done by that individual school board. ”

Q: Should children, especially those who are not vaccinated, avoid crowds and public places outside of school?

A: “Anything done outdoors – outdoor activities like soccer, cheerleading, soccer – is generally safe in an outdoor setting. I think it is very important to normalize the lives of these children as much as possible. If this is an incredibly crowded (indoor) area, you should consider hiding yourself and your child. But I would try to mitigate the risks of covid as much as possible without completely avoiding the events your child wants to go to.

Q: When could a covid-19 vaccine be approved for children under 12?

A: “It’s hard to say when the FDA will actually approve it. We heard it all from November to January or February. It is very important that the FDA take its time and that the vaccine is found to be safe. The majority of children, not all children, but the majority of children have very mild symptoms, so we want to make sure that the vaccine does not cause more problems than it will help children. We know it’s going to be effective, but we want to make sure it’s safe.