The report also shows that there have been at least 338,982 total COVID-19 cases among children since the pandemic began, which means that more than a quarter of child infections occurred in the last two weeks of July, according to the New York Times.
The report notes that total case counts could be even higher than reported because incomplete information was retrieved for Texas and parts of New York state outside of New York City.
The findings reveal that the states with the highest percentage increases in COVID-19 infections among children in the latter half of July include Missouri, Oklahoma, Alaska, Nevada, Idaho and Montana. Areas in the Northeast, including New York City and New Jersey, had the lowest percentage increases in child infections in that timeframe.
Another disease, called multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C), has also been linked to COVID-19 and has appeared among younger patients. The condition is similar to Kawasaki disease, which usually occurs in children younger than 5 years old and causes inflammation of blood vessels throughout the body.
As of August 6, there have been 570 confirmed cases of MIS-C and 10 deaths across 40 states and Washington, DC. Additional cases are being investigated, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) noted.
Figures released in a Friday report by the CDC show that around one-third of children hospitalized with COVID-19 since March 1 are hospitalized in intensive care units (ICU).
The cumulative rate of COVID-19-associated hospitalizations among children is around 8 per 100,000 population, compared with 164.5 per 100,000 population in adults.
However, the CDC also notes that the case fatality rate among children is low, “even among children hospitalized with more severe COVID-19–associated complications, such as MIS-C.”
“By comparison, among US children hospitalized with seasonal influenza virus infection, estimates of ICU admissions have ranged from 16% to 25% among hospitalized children without and with underlying medical conditions, respectively,” the report adds.
The study also found that only 6% of hospitalized children require invasive mechanical ventilation, compared to almost 19% of adults.
The latest data contradicts US President Donald Trump’s recent claims that children are “almost immune” to the novel coronavirus.
