While children seem to have been largely spared from the worst of the coronavirus pandemic, a new study suggests it's possible that up to 50,000 U.S. children might end up hospitalized with COVID-19 by the end of 2020.
"We don't want to be alarmist. Children are still the lowest risk proportion of the population. But it would be a mistake to think that COVID-19 isn't a risk for everyone," said study author Jason Salemi. He's an associate professor of epidemiology at the University of South Florida's College of Public Health, in Tampa.
But if mitigation measures are lifted or loosened, infection rates may go up again. Hospitals may see a renewed influx of patients, including pediatric ones. And, it's important to plan for sick children because they present additional challenges, such as a need for smaller medical supplies, and how to design policies that allow a parent to safely stay with a sick child, Salemi explained.
Almost half of the kids that ended up in pediatric intensive care units were between 12 and 17 years old. Kids between 2 and 11 years old made up 24% of the serious cases, while the youngest kids -- those under 2 years of age -- accounted for 30% of the most serious illnesses in children.Salemi said based on current mitigation strategies, he doesn't expect the pediatric health care system in the United States to be overwhelmed.
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