As of November 12th, over 1 million children have tested positive for COVID-19 since the beginning of the pandemic in March, meaning children now make up 1 in 11 of all reported U.S. coronavirus cases.
What We Know:
- Monday also marked the end of the largest amount of pediatric cases of Covid in a one-week period, with a total of 112,000 new infections. According to state health departments and the American Academy of Pediatrics, who reported on the record number hit on Monday, “[the] pandemic is taking a heavy toll on children, families & communities, as well as on physicians & other front-line medical teams,” said the AAP President Dr. Sally Goza.
- Although the virus tends to be more severe in cases among adults, experts still warn against the possible health effects the virus could cause in children’s development. The CDC warns that a rise in cases among children may mean a rise in cases of Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in Children (MIS-C) later. The CDC data shows that 1,163 children in the U.S. have been diagnosed with the serious condition linked to Covid-19, and twenty of those children have died. So far, at least 6,330 pediatric hospitalizations and 133 deaths have been recorded since May.
- According to the AAP’s report, socioeconomic factors also play a role in the infection rate among children. They state that the virus has had a disproportionate impact on Black and Hispanic children. These communities have suffered a higher number of infections. They are more likely to be impacted by a lack of monetary resources and access to education, among other services that regard health.
- CDC experts also warn of the damages the pandemic can cause a child’s mental and emotional health. A report shows that children ages 5 to 11 made emergency room visits related to mental health about 24% more than last year. Visits from children ages 12 to 17 increased by about 31%.
Dr. Rick Malley, a senior physician in infectious diseases at Boston Children’s Hospital and professor of pediatrics at Harvard Medical School, says parents should look out for symptoms including prolonged fever, a rash, conjunctivitis, swelling of the palms or soles of the feet, sometimes peeling of the skin in those areas and lymph node enlargement; if their child has been infected with Covid-19.
