Almost 1.2 million US children had tested positive as of Nov. 19, representing 11.8% “of all cases in states reporting cases by age,” the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) said Monday. The AAP analyzed data from 49 states, New York City, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and Guam.
The numbers are probably underestimated because coronavirus disease in children is usually mild – with many showing no symptoms at all, making them less likely to be tested, according to the University of Minnesota’s Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy (CIDRAP).
Even with the increase in childhood cases, hospitalizations and deaths remain low. On September 10, children made up only about 1.7 percent of total COVID-19 hospitalizations, with about 2.0 percent of infected children requiring hospitalization. Similarly, children accounted for 0.07 percent of total deaths, and their death rate was only 0.01 percent.
In a press release dated November 17, AAP President Sally Goza said: “If we do not add children to these research trials very soon, there will be a significant delay in when children are able to access potentially life-saving vaccines. This is unconscionable, We must have studies showing they are safe and effective in children as well.”
This latest increase in pediatric Covid-19 cases reflects an overall increase in cases across the adult population. At least 26 states reported an uptick in child cases higher than 25 percent in the one-week period ending on November 12, while 29 states nationwide saw a 30 percent increase in child cases during the same time period, reports The Smithsonian.
