"Numbers Never Seen Before May Appear"... US on Alert as Pediatric COVID-19 Hospitalizations Surge

52% Increase in Pediatric COVID-19 Hospitalizations Over 4 Weeks in the US

On the 28th (local time), citizens stood in front of a mobile testing site in Times Square, New York, USA, where the COVID-19 Omicron variant is rapidly spreading, to get tested for COVID-19.
[Image source=AFP Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Heo Midam] As the highly contagious Omicron variant spreads worldwide, the number of children hospitalized with COVID-19 in the United States has surged. Local experts predict that the number of infected children will continue to rise.

On the 29th (local time), NBC analyzed data from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and reported that the average number of children hospitalized with COVID-19 increased by 52% over the past four weeks.

The number of hospitalized children in the U.S. rose sharply from 1,270 on December 29 to 1,933 in just over a month. According to the media, the states with the largest increase in pediatric hospitalization rates are Florida, Illinois, New Jersey, New York, and Ohio.

CNN also reported that the number of hospitalized children nationwide increased by 35% in just one week, indicating that the rate of increase has recently accelerated.

In particular, the number of children hospitalized with COVID-19 in New York City hospitals has surged fivefold in less than two weeks. The increase in family gatherings during Christmas and year-end, along with the lower vaccination rate among children compared to adults, are cited as reasons for the rise in pediatric COVID-19 cases.

In the U.S., emergency use authorization for vaccines has not yet been granted for children under 5 years old. Vaccinations for children aged 5 to 11 only began earlier last month.

Stanley Spinner, Vice President and Chief Medical Officer (CMO) of Texas Children's Hospital, told CNN, "Cases (of pediatric hospitalizations) related to Christmas gatherings continue to increase," adding, "I think we will see numbers we have never seen before."

Juan Salazar, Chief Physician at Connecticut Children's Medical Center, pointed out, "(Unvaccinated) children have become easy targets for the virus." He said, "Only one-third of children and adolescents aged 5 and older, who are eligible for vaccination in Connecticut, have completed their vaccinations," adding, "Children who are unvaccinated or have received only one dose have become the most vulnerable group to the coronavirus."

Generally, children are known to experience milder symptoms compared to adults when infected with COVID-19. However, Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in Children (MIS-C), which is known to be associated with COVID-19, is a concern.

MIS-C is a condition suspected to be related to COVID-19, primarily occurring 2 to 4 weeks after infection in children and adolescents. It is most commonly seen in children aged 5 to 11 and is reported to cause symptoms such as fever, rash, and multiple organ damage.

Possible causes include abnormal immune responses to COVID-19 and antibody formation after infection, but the exact cause has not yet been identified. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), among the 5,973 MIS-C cases reported in the U.S. to date, 52 children have died.

Meanwhile, New York City announced plans to double COVID-19 testing in public schools starting January 3 next year in response to the surge in pediatric cases.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.