Hospitalizations are rising among children with Covid-19 as health systems struggled to cope with the additional patients and officials scrambled to expand vaccine coverage. For the week ending August 9, an average of 239 children was reportedly hospitalized with Covid-19, a new peak almost 30% higher than the previous week. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the number of children is up from 184 the previous week.
Hospitals Since The Introduction Of Covid-19 Is Rising As Health Systems Struggle To Cope With The Surge In Patients
Food and Drug Administration officials are now focusing on evaluating vaccines for children under the age of 12, and it is possible that doses could be available by the end of the year to them.
In her CNN medical analysis, CNN health analyst Dr. Leana Wen noted the growing urgency of vaccination, citing the spread of the more transmissible Delta variant, the lowered levels of consciousness among adults, and the large increase in children being admitted to hospitals.
Some patients with immunosuppression are expected to receive a third dose of vaccine in the next 48 hours, according to sources familiar with the discussions. Murthy said people with compromised immune systems, such as cancer patients, those taking immunosuppressive drugs, and organ transplant recipients, may not be able to develop adequate antibodies from the mRNA vaccine or the Johnson & Johnson shot.
According to Dr. Anthony Fauci, these people never received a good response to their vaccinations from the outset, so the additional dose is more of a catch-up for what they had hoped to get the first time though they didn’t due to their compromised immune system. In NBC’s “Today” show on Thursday, he revealed he is the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases.
According to CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky, less than 3% of adults would be affected. It will review the authorization at a meeting on Friday of the Advisory Committee for Immunization Practices, Walensky said.
Schools have already started for the new year
Thousands of students are facing disruptions as they begin the new school year — and the resulting surge in cases only began last week. A child in Reno, Nevada, was quarantined after a coronavirus test came back positive two days after entering middle school.
The child’s mother, who attends Marce Herz Middle School, also tested positive, according to officials with Washington County Health District. A health district official reports that the parent never contacted health department personnel or school officials.
The Mississippi Department of Health reports that nearly 4,400 students were quarantined during the week of August 2 after being exposed to Covid-19.
To combat the rising numbers of cases, several Lamar County schools switched to virtual learning. Hampton proposed a blend of face-to-face and virtual learning during a board meeting on Monday, saying that although he is firmly convinced face-to-face learning is the best, a hybrid model would keep each school from becoming entirely virtual.
A Covid-19 case was detected in Florida’s Palm Beach County on the second day of the new school year, quarantining 440 students. According to a press release from Governor Ralph Northam’s office, Virginia has passed a public health order that requires masks in indoor settings in K-12 schools. To prevent transmissions of infections in schools, Walensky recommended following the current prevention guidelines.
It is imperative that we protect our schools by vaccinating everyone who can be vaccinated, vaccinating the families of children not yet vaccinated, as well as following mitigation strategies described in our guidance for schools, including masking.