The omicron variant continues to drive a significant surge in COVID-19 cases among children in the U.S., with over 1 million kids infected weekly, as noted by the American Academy for Pediatrics. Although the omicron wave appears to be slowing down in many areas, it is still setting alarming records in pediatric infections. A report released this week indicates that 20 percent of all pediatric cases recorded since the pandemic began have occurred in just the last two weeks.
In the week ending January 20, nearly 1,151,000 new pediatric cases were reported across the nation, marking a 17 percent increase from the previous week’s record of 981,000 new cases. The rate of pediatric infections has nearly doubled in a short period. Fortunately, it remains uncommon for children to experience severe illness or require hospitalization due to COVID, including from the omicron variant. The hospitalization rate for kids has decreased slightly from 0.8 percent to 0.7 percent this month.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the recent rise in pediatric cases does not translate to an increase in severe illness. Instead, it reflects the highly contagious nature of the omicron variant and the low vaccination rates among U.S. children. While children aged 5 and older can receive COVID vaccinations, their uptake has been low. Children younger than 5 are still not eligible for the shots. “This increase may simply indicate that there are more cases in the community, making children more vulnerable,” said Dr. Sarah Lawson, CDC Director, during a recent press conference. “However, we have not observed any heightened severity associated with this variant.”
Public health officials are encouraging parents to vaccinate their eligible children promptly. For more information on available vaccines, check out vaccines.gov.
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In summary, the rapid rise in pediatric COVID cases attributed to the omicron variant in the U.S. has raised concerns, but severe illness among children remains low. Vaccination efforts continue to be vital as many children remain unvaccinated.