A study indicates that there has been an increase in the number of children hospitalized for COVID-19 in recent months.
An 800% increase in the number of COVID-19 hospitalization rates for children across the United States between mid of May up to the mid of November was discovered according to a study published by JAMA Pediatrics.
In analyzing the data from the 22 US states, the researcher found that the children who are infected with the new coronavirus or COVID-19, was typically mirrored by those of the older adults. The only difference however, is that children are much less likely to be hospitalized than adults and are much more likely to have a chance at survival.
These should not be treated without concern, children are still at risk of having a severe illness stemming from COVID-19. "While children are at very low risk for severe illness from COVID-19, there is a misperception that there is no risk," research co-author Pinar Karaca-Mandic, a professor of healthcare risk management at the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis, shared. Further, Karaca-Mandic mentioned that the study showed that the virus has the potential to cause harm and damage in children and not just to the seniors.
Karaca-Mandic and her fellow researchers have analyzed data on more than 300,000 COVID-19 related hospitalizations in 22 states between May 15 until November 15 of 2020 to have this study.
Among the millions of COVID-19 cases in the United States, only one-fifth represents the children, teens, and young adults according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Additionally, the agency estimates roughly about 1% of all virus-related hospitalizations and deaths across the United States involve people who are 24 years old or younger.
According to the COVID-19 Tracking Project, there are more than 129,000 people who are hospitalized with the said virus and the United States have already recorded more than 374,000 COVID-19 related deaths. Karaca-Mandic and her team found out that 5,300 of these hospitalizations involved children. Although these are small figures compared to the total number of hospitalization, the children were hospitalized at a rate of 17.2 per 100,000 children in the general population by the 15th of November. They had compared it with the previous six month which only accounted for two per 100,000 children.
The study also shows that South Dakota and Arizona were the ones who had the highest rates of hospitalizations of these children due to COVID-19 at 33.7 per 100,000 children and 32.8 per 100,000, respectively. However, their study had its own limitations as well, "[The study] was not designed to analyze whether children fueled the spread of COVID-19," Karaca-Mandic revealed.
As of writing, the United States is currently at the top position with the most cases of COVID-19 around the world. However, the current administration has already started with the vaccination across the country which will surely slow down the spread of the virus.
President Trump had made a timely decision by declaring the virus as a National Emergency, unlocking billions of dollars to fight the pandemic--assuring all Americans that the administration has everything under control.
