According to statistics, as of the week of August 26, children accounted for 22.4% of all new COVID-19 cases, so pediatric coronavirus cases are on the rise. A report Published by the American Academy of Pediatrics and Children’s Hospital Association.
According to the report, in the two weeks from August 12 to 26, the cumulative number of COVID infections in children increased by 9%. As schools across the country reopened and students resumed face-to-face learning, high infection rates followed.
Children under the age of 12 are not yet eligible for the vaccine, and the American Academy of Pediatrics has stated that more time is needed to study the impact of the vaccine on children.
According to Dr. Rochelle Walensky, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, children in states with low vaccination rates are four times more likely to be infected. “Children and communities with higher vaccination rates have much lower rates of cases, emergency room visits and hospitalizations. Vaccinations are effective,” Valensky says On Thursday, it was reported by USA Today.
Since the beginning of the pandemic, as of August 26, nearly 4.8 million children have tested positive for COVID-19. Dr. Jason Salemi, an epidemiologist and associate professor at the University of South Florida, told the WFLA that 66 children in a state like Florida are hospitalized for COVID-19 every day, up from just six nine weeks ago.
“Children’s hospitals in the United States are under unprecedented pressure,” said Representative Kathy Castor, D-FL, When it comes to the country’s large number of child infections. “Pediatric hospitals have reached or are close to operating at full capacity, and as schools across the country continue to open, they expect to see more pediatric patients.”
— Ana Cabrera (@AnaCabrera) August 31, 2021
Dr. Christina Canody, medical director of the BayCare Pediatric Service Hotline, described the epidemic in children as a “perfect storm” and added: “When we opened last year, we had mandatory requirements for masks, and some of our rates were the lowest we saw during the pandemic. Contagion, positivity and epidemic, but this year we are on opposite ends of the spectrum.”
“At best, the school will be a mirror of what is happening in our community,” Salimi said. “Therefore, to what extent can we continue to act responsibly and reduce the spread of this virus in the community, the safer our children will be when they return to the school environment.”
It is expected that the vaccine for children under 12 years old will be at least midwinter, According to the Food and Drug Administration. The agency requires six months of safety follow-up data for children, while adults only need two months of follow-up data.
As of mid-July, Pfizer said it expects its clinical trials for children aged 5 to 11 years to receive results sometime in September. According to the company, data for children between 2 and 2 years old may be released soon, while data for children between 6 months and 2 years old may be released in October or November.
“Given that children are one of the unvaccinated groups, we will see more cases among children,” Dr. Richard Bessel, a pediatrician and former acting director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, told NBC News.
At least 335 children aged 17 and under have died from the virus.
