By DR. MARY GILLIS, D.Ed.
WISH-TV | wishtv.com
COVID-19 infection in children has skyrocketed in a matter of weeks according to the latest data from the American Academy of Pediatrics.
The pediatrician group says the exponential rise amounts to 240 percent since early July. Health experts say this is both alarming and concerning. In the latest report released by the group, the number of infections spiked from 71,036 cases to 243,373 cases. Children now make up 29 percent of all infections nationwide.
WISH-TV News 8 reached out to Dr. Christopher Doehring, vice president of medical affairs at Franciscan Health, to explain why.
“Back in July the numbers were relatively low amongst children in general,” Doehring said. “And it was really before the pandemic delta surge really hit us. Keep in mind school started back and most school-age children are not able to get vaccinated against COVID.”
Given the combination of the three – the delta surge, kids back in school and not yet eligible for the shot, Doehring says he’s not surprised. In fact, he thought the percentage would be higher.
However, Doehring also says it’s important to keep these numbers in perspective. To date, children in Indiana make up just 0.1 percent of hospitalization in the state.