Covid hospitalizations among US children soar as schools under pressure

Covid-19 hospitalizations among children in the US are soaring, fueled by the Omicron variant and the holidays, and adding pressure to already-strained health systems and schools.

An average of 672 children were being hospitalized every day in the US, as of 2 January - more than double the average just a week before. And the rate is rapidly increasing.

Cases are also rising. There were more than 325,000 new cases among kids in the week ending 23 December, a 64% increase from the previous week and nearly double the cases two weeks earlier, the American Academy of Pediatrics reported on Monday.

The increases appear to be driven by the more contagious nature of the Omicron variant and low vaccination rates among children over the age of five years old. As with adults, early evidence appears to show that Omicron also largely causes mild illness in kids.

Nonetheless, experts are urging the use of every possible precaution, including tests, masks, vaccinations and even temporary delays in reopening schools to curb both cases and staff shortages.

More than half the hospitalized children have had to spend time in the intensive care unit, and at least 40% of those kids need to be put on a ventilator, she said.

More than 1,000 kids have died in the US from Covid during the pandemic so far, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). More than 830,000 people have died in the US from Covid so far.

Hospitals are shooting past the peaks of previous surges, many of them driven by the Omicron variant. In South Africa, children and teens accounted for 17% of hospital admissions during the Omicron wave, compared to 4% during the second wave and 3.5% during the third, which was fueled by the Delta variant.

Cox said she had also seen a sharp uptick in cases among pregnant people and newborns.

In addition to Covid, hospitals are also seeing a dangerous wave of RSV (respiratory syncytial virus) and the flu this year, creating a triple threat of respiratory illness.

But schools in neighboring Montgomery county, Maryland, which has also been hit hard with new cases and hospitalizations, are recommending, not requiring, tests for students and staff. Tests have been difficult to find in many places.

In places where cases are particularly high, even where some precautions are in place, schools could choose to extend winter break to avoid staff shortages during the worst of the January peak, Castrucci said.

Hospitals overwhelmed by Covid can lead to worse care and outcomes for children suffering from other causes, he said.