The number of COVID hospitalizations among children has quadrupled in some hospitals, and the United States now records 280 cases a day among young people.
Dr. Nick Hysmith of Le Bonheur Hospital in Memphis, Tennessee, says he has been treating only two or three children with COVID every day for a fortnight, but that number has risen to 28 children under 18 a day.
Dr. Hysmith spoke while an Alabama doctor revealed that most of his children’s patients are old enough to receive a vaccine that could have prevented serious illness.
Dr. Scott James, who treats patients at Children’s Hospital of Alabama, told NBC News that “it’s been a pretty busy week,” as the state has an average of 43 children a day in the hospital with the coronavirus.
“We started to see hospitalizations increase in children by the end of July. And now we’ve exceeded our peak before last January,” James said.
The news came after doctors last week described the situation as a “youth pandemic” as they watched an increase in hospitalizations among 30-year-olds.
The number of new COVID-19 hospitalizations among children has increased to 280 per day
A graph shows the number of new coronavirus hospital admissions nationwide for children under 17 per 100,000 people since the start of the pandemic
A graph shows the number of new coronavirus hospital admissions in the Northeast for children under 17 per 100,000 people since the start of the pandemic
A graph shows the number of new coronavirus hospital admissions in the southern states that limit and include Texas for children under 17 per 100,000 people since the start of the pandemic.
James told NBC News that most of the older children hospitalized are older teens eligible for vaccination, but who have not yet received the puncture.
COVID vaccines are available to anyone 12 years of age or older in the United States, with the CDC recommending that everyone be old enough to get one.
The doctor told NBC News that medical professionals have struggled emotionally to help families with children receiving ICU care.
“In our profession, we are called to be on the verge of suffering. So we are where we want to be. We are here at the forefront serving in this pandemic,” James said.
“But I have to say it wears us out knowing that much of that suffering was preventable.”
New COVID-19 hospital admissions for patients 17 and under reached an average of 280 per day during the week ending Wednesday, a new peak for children in pandemic, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention .
This number was above the average of 260 per day the previous week and around 201 per day the previous week.
There have been 49,284 hospitalizations of underage children for COVID-19 since last August starting Wednesday. That number rose 2,112 from a total of 47,172 last week.
Children under the age of 12 are not eligible to receive the COVID-19 vaccine, while vaccination rates for young adults under the age of 40 remain lagging behind.
Only 32.6% of children ages 12 to 15 are considered fully vaccinated, while 45.4% have received at least one punch, according to CDC data released Thursday.
CDC data show that 43% of teens ages 16 to 17 are considered fully vaccinated, while 54.7% have received at least one dose.
There were a total of 169,998,983 fully vaccinated, i.e., approximately 51% of the total population, but approximately 60% of the population over 12 years of age eligible for the vaccine.
Dr. Marcos Mestre, chief physician at Nicklaus Children’s Hospital in Miami, said he had 86 minor patients in August
Dr. Nick Hysmith, who works at Le Bonheur Children’s Hospital in Memphis, Tennessee, told NBC News that up to 28 children under the age of 18 have been hospitalized a day, some in the ICU.
Hysmith told the dam that until two weeks ago, only two or three children would be hospitalized a day with COVID-19, usually after being admitted for other reasons, such as broken bones.
“We went from a single digit with kids not really sick to 28 kids in a matter of a few weeks, and some of them are pretty sick,” he said.
Hysmith said the hospital has a capacity of 95-97%, which is more typical of the winter months.
“This is worrying, because we don’t know what will happen in the coming weeks,” he said.
Texas leads the country by the number of children a day in the hospital for COVID-19, according to NBC News.
CDC data show there have been 6,239 children hospitalized in Texas since the pandemic began, with an average of 42 new hospitalizations a day this week.
Republican Gov. Greg Abbott has taken steps to prevent local school districts from enforcing mask warrants that will help prevent the spread of COVID-19.
A map shows the total number of coronavirus cases and deaths in the United States
A map shows the percentage of each state vaccinated so far
A graph shows the total number of coronavirus deaths in the United States since the onset of the pandemic
A graph shows the number of coronavirus deaths in the United States in July and August
A graph shows the total number of coronavirus infections in the United States since the onset of the pandemic
A graph shows the number of coronavirus infections in the United States in July and August
Since then, Abbott has tested positive for COVID-19 itself and several school districts have challenged his executive order by applying mask warrants.
Florida has the second highest number of hospitalizations among children, according to NBC News.
Dr. Marcos Mestre, chief physician at Nicklaus Children’s Hospital in Miami, told NBC News that he had 86 pediatric patients in August, as of June 16.
“If we continue at this rate, we will be at the highest number of patients in a month,” he said. It echoed James’ comments, almost pointing to it all hospitalized older children were not vaccinated.
According to the Florida Department of Health, 44% of Florida teens eligible for the vaccine have been vaccinated.