It's simple to believe the COVID-19 pandemic remains in the rearview mirror, particularly for kids who are frequently thought about at low danger for extreme illness.
For kids who do get extreme COVID-19, treatment is now more nuanced and the spectre of multisystem inflammatory syndrome in kids (MIS-C) has actually all however disappeared. Current information point to some worrying patterns in COVID-related hospitalization rates.
Spikes in Hospitalization Rates
Current information has actually challenged the presumption that kids are less most likely to be hospitalized for COVID-19 compared to grownups.
From October 2022 to April 2024, COVID-associated hospitalization rates amongst babies more youthful than 6 months were greater than rates amongst any other age, other than grownups ages 75 and older, CDC scientists detailed in a current Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.
In this age, weekly COVID-19 hospitalization rates peaked at 23.0 per 100,000 babies throughout the weeks ending December 17 in the 2022-2023 breathing infection season and at 20.3 per 100,000 babies throughout the weeks ending January 13 in the 2023-2024 season. From October 2022 to April 2024, there were 1,470 COVID-associated hospitalizations amongst babies under 6 months of age.
Of 1,148 hospitalized young babies with COVID-19, around one in 5 needed admission to the extensive care system (ICU), almost one in 20 needed mechanical ventilation, and 9 passed away.
Of note, just one in 4 had any hidden conditions.
Babies more youthful than 6 months are at increased danger of ending up being contaminated with SARS-CoV-2 since they are disqualified for COVID-19 vaccination. Any defense versus the infection relies on transplacental transfer of maternal antibodies from vaccination or infection.
High hospitalization rates amongst babies might have been connected to a significant drop in the portion of moms getting immunized throughout pregnancy. From October 2022 to September 2023, 18% of moms had actually been immunized versus SARS-CoV-2 throughout pregnancy, however this dropped to less than 5% from October 2023 to April 2024.
COVID-19-related hospitalizations for babies and kids were high throughout the most current COVID rise this summertime, compared to grownups under the age of 50.
According to CDC information for the week ending August 10, there were 10.0 COVID-related hospitalizations per 100,000 babies more youthful than 1 year and 3.4 per 100,000 kids more youthful than 4 years, compared to 1.7 per 100,000 grownups ages 18-49. Hospitalization rates amongst kids have actually given that reduced.
Colleen Nash, MD, MPH, of Rush University in Chicago, experienced this newest boost in hospitalizations firsthand. “We saw after a little bit of a break numerous kids with more serious COVID, needing simply hospitalization and numerous in the ICU needing extra oxygen,” she informed MedPage Today“I had not dealt with anybody for COVID in a very long time.”
The threat of serious COVID-19 is greater amongst kids with hidden conditions, many of the kids at Nash's organization didn't have any such conditions.
