COVID-19 cases among children in the U.S. have declined after recently reaching record-high levels.
More than 243,000 American kids and teenagers tested positive for the virus last week, according to a new report from the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP).
The figure represents a three percent drop from the roughly 251,000 under-18s who contracted Covid the week prior.
This brings the total of pediatric coronavirus cases to more than 5.2 million since the start of the pandemic.
Children also accounted for 28.9 percent of all U.S. cases recorded last week.
However, most pediatric cases are not severe and virus-related fatalities among children are rare with pediatric deaths making up just 0.1 percent of all COVID-19 deaths.
Because of kids’ low risk of severe disease and death, parents and doctors are split 50/50 on whether or not to vaccinate kids.
More than 243,000 COVID-19 cases were recorded among children and teens last week, a 3.3% from the 251,00 cases recorded the week before (above)
Under-18s accounted for 28.9% of all U.S. cases recorded last week with a total of 5.2 million since the pandemic began. Pictured: A nasal swab sample is collected from a child at a COVID-19 testing site in Los Angeles, August 2021
According to the AAP report, 243,373 child COVID-19 cases were reported between September 2 and September 9.
This is a 3.3 percent decrease from the 251,781 cases that were recorded from August 26 to September 2.
Currently, there are 14 states that report 18 percent or more of their cumulative cases are among children: Vermont, Alaska, South Carolina, Tennessee, West Virginia, Maine, New Mexico, Minnesota, Connecticut, Kentucky, New Hampshire, Washington, Arizona and North Dakota.
Vermont has the most with more than 22 percent of all the state’s cases among its youngest residents.
Meanwhile, just four states – Idaho, Iowa, Florida and Utah – reported fewer than 12 percent of its cases are among kids.
Additionally, over the last two weeks, eight states have seen a more than 20 percent increase in child cases: Georgia, Florida, Hawaii, Kentucky, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, and West Virginia.
Children account for 18% of all COVID-19 cases recorded in 14 states
When it come to regions across the country, the South has the most child cases with more than 120,000 reported.
Meanwhile, the Northeast had the fewest number of cases with about 20,000.
Children never made up more than 0.27 percent of deaths in a state and seven states states reported zero child deaths.
In total, 460 children have died from COVID-19 since the pandemic began, about 170 of which occurred after the Delta variant started rapidly spreading.
‘At this time, it appears that severe illness due to COVID-19 is uncommon among children,’ the authors wrote.
‘However, there is an urgent need to collect more data on longer-term impacts of the pandemic on children, including ways the virus may harm the long-term physical health of infected children, as well as its emotional and mental health effects.’
American parents are split 50/50 on whether or not they will immunize their children.
The South has the most child Covid cases with more than 120,000 reported (green) while the Northeast had the fewest with about 20,000 (blue)
Some doctors have also suggested that kids do not needed to get vaccinated due to their low risk of severe disease and death.
In April 2021 poll, conducted by the Kaiser Family Foundation, parents were asked if they would get their child immunized once a COVID-19 vaccine is authorized and available for their child’s age group.
Three in 10 parents – 29 percent – of children under 18 said they would get their child vaccinated ‘right away’ while 15 percent said they only plan to vaccinate their children if the school requires it and 19 percent said their child will definitely not be getting vaccinated.
A July 2021 survey, conducted by CS Mott Children’s Hospital National Poll on Children’s Health at Michigan Medicine last month, found that 39 percent of parents said their children already gotten a coronavirus shot.
However, 40 percent of parents also said it was ‘unlikely’ that their children would be getting vaccinated.’
Source link : https://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-9989731/COVID-19-cases-children-decreased-3-243-000-testing-positive-week.html
