As schools across the country reopen, recent data shows that COVID-19 infection is on the rise in children.
The American Academy of Pediatrics, in partnership with the Association of Pediatric Hospitals, examines weekly U.S. publicly available data on pediatric COVID-19 cases.
According to the most recent report, as of July 30, there were 338,982 total child COVID-19 cases reported since the beginning of the pandemic. This represents 8.8% of all COVID-19 cases.
In 25 states, 10% or more of reported cases were in children, the report found. The highest percentages were in Wyoming, Tennessee and New Mexico, with more than 15%. New Jersey and New York City, meanwhile, had the lowest, with 3% or less.
The overall rate was 447 cases per 100,000 children in the population, the report found. Seventeen states and the District of Columbia reported more than 500 cases per 100,000 children, according to the report. Arizona had the highest rate, above 1,000, while Hawaii had the lowest, below 100.
Overall, COVID-19 cases are on the rise in children: From July 16 to July 30, there was a 40% increase in child cases, the report found. The total number of cases, percentage of total cases and rate of cases in children are also the highest they have been since the first report by AAP and CHA, which examined COVID-19 data from 16 April.
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However, COVID-19-related hospitalizations and deaths in children are “uncommon”, and serious illness is “rare”, according to the AAP. According to data from 43 states and New York City, children made less than 1% of all COVID-19 deaths. Twenty states have reported zero deaths in children, and these accounted for as much as 3.7% of the total COVID-19 hospitals reported in 20 states and New York City, the report found.
The professional association notes that “states should continue to provide detailed reports on COVID-19 cases, testing, hospitalizations and mortality by age so that the effects of COVID-19 on children’s health can be documented and monitored.”
PHOTO: Elementary school students wearing masks to prevent the spread of COVID-19 are waiting for classes to begin in Godley, Texas, August 5, 2020. (Lm Otero / AP)
The latest study looked at demographics from 49 states, plus New York City, Washington, DC, Puerto Rico and Guam. New York did not provide an age distribution for cases in the state, the study found. Age ranges from 0 to 14 to 0 to 24, depending on the state.
Latest CDC data
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention also tracks COVID-19 data by demographic, based on reports from U.S. states, U.S. territories, New York City and DC
As of August 9, children under the age of 18 accounted for 7.4% of reported COVID-19 cases and less than 1% of reported COVID-19 deaths, according to the CDC. As of August 1, there were 616 reported COVID-19 associated hospitalizations in patients under 18 – nearly 1.4% of total hospitalizations.
Most children with COVID-19 are asymptomatic or have mild symptoms, according to the CDC.
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The CDC also monitors what they call multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C), a rare but serious condition that was reported several weeks after the onset of COVID-19 in children and adolescents.
The condition can cause shock, gastrointestinal symptoms, cardiac involvement and increased inflammatory markers, according to the CDC.
As of August 6, 570 MIS-C patients and 10 deaths have been reported from 40 states, DC and New York City, the CDC found. The average age for affected children was 8 years old.
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