9/7/21—COVID cases have been rising all summer, and it looks like the trend will continue into fall. As vaccinations rise there is some hope, but for parents of young children there are fears and concerns, as children under 12 are currently unable to receive vaccines. This limitation, combined with rising hospitalizations of children with COVID, has caused many parents concern, and rightfully so. Arming yourself with the facts and ways in which you can help prevent spread can help ease your worries, slow down the numbers and can help protect your little ones.
While hospitalizations in children with COVID have risen, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reporting about 330 children admitted to hospitals every day with COVID-19 for the week of August 20th, there is still hope. The prevalent Delta variant is responsible for much of the spread; however, the majority of cases have not been severe or fatal, with a small fraction leading to outcomes including long-term hospitalization or death. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), as of Aug. 26th children accounted 4,797,683 total COVID-19 cases reported, or 14.8% of the over 32 million cases in the U.S. While cases have risen in children, only a small amount of them result in hospitalization and an even lower amount result in death. In fact, the same AAP report shows that 0.9 % of child COVID cases have resulted in hospitalization and 0.01% have been fatal1.
What this means to parents is that, while cases are rising in children, they are still not as severe as those seen in adults and the elderly. While the number of serious and fatal cases is small, caution should be taken to prevent spread to children, especially with the reopening of schools this fall and for those who are immuno-compromised or have underlying health issues.
Vaccination holds to be the best defense against the spread of COVID-19 cases.2 In fact, according to the CDC areas with higher child COVID hospitalizations are typically those with lower vaccine rates.3 As a result, it’s recommended that adults and teens 12 and up receive their vaccines, protecting themselves and preventing spread. Along with vaccination, encourage your children to wash their hands with warm water and soap for 20 seconds after any activities, bathroom trips or sneezing. If your child is exhibiting signs of illness, even a runny nose, keep them home and contact your local health department to get COVID testing. These precautions not only help your child, but other children they come into contact with.
Other preventative measures include masking and social distancing, along with a multi-layered contact tracing approach. Contact tracing programs can be utilized in learning spaces to monitor exposure. AlertTrace offers ease of mind, with easy setup and implementation in schools, to trace student and staff contacts and alert administrators and parents of exposure to positive cases.
Contact us today to learn more about how AlertTrace can help provide safety in your community and schools.
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1“Children and Covid-19: State-Level Data Report.” Home, www.aap.org/en/pages/2019-novel-coronavirus-covid-19-infections/children-and-covid-19-state-level-data-report/.
Hernandez, Joe. “Children’s Hospitals Are Pleading for Federal Help as They Run out of Beds.” NPR, NPR, 1 Sept. 2021, www.npr.org/sections/coronavirus-live-updates/2021/09/01/1033233408/childrens-hospitals-coronavirus-covid-capacity-federal-help.
2“Prevent Getting Sick.” Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/prevent-getting-sick/index.html.
3“Parents and Caregivers – What Is Your School Doing to Protect Your Child from Covid-19?” Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/community/schools-childcare/parent-faqs.html.
Yan, Holly. “Child Covid-19 Hospitalizations Reach a New High. That’s Not the Only Reason Kids Need to Be Protected from Delta, Doctors Say.” CNN, Cable News Network, 31 Aug. 2021, www.cnn.com/2021/08/31/health/covid-delta-variant-children/index.html.
