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There has been an exponential increase in the total number of coronavirus cases, hospitalizations and deaths among children and adolescents in the United States of America, reports say.
Data compiled by the American Academy of Pediatrics shows that the situation is largely attributed to the resumption of in-class schooling in all 50 states across the country.
According to them, little is known about the possible effects of the virus in babies, young children and adolescents.
However, the data set, which spans from May 21, 2020 to August 20, 2020, states that the increase is similar across states.
The vice chairman of the infectious diseases committee of the American Academy of Pediatrics, Dr. Sean O’Leary, told the New York Times that there is evidence that children are becoming infected at a higher rate now than at the beginning of the year.
“Anyone who has been at the forefront of this pandemic in a children’s hospital can tell you that we have cared for many children who are very sick,” he said.
The data also suggests that since young children tend to contract and transmit the virus more than the general public, complications are less experienced among them.
“It is less severe in children than in adults, but it is not completely benign,” said Dr. O’Leary.
However, it establishes that African American and Latino children, like adults, are more likely to be hospitalized.
Additional research on the subject reveals that the probability varies by age. It shows that adolescents are more likely to contract and transmit the virus than younger children, although the reasons are uncertain.
Children ages 10-19 account for a higher proportion of cases than young children in all states tracking age groups separately.
At the end of May, about 5 percent of cases in the United States were documented in minors. By August 20, the number has risen to more than 9 percent.
