COVID-19 hospitalizations in New York are increasing fastest among children — and by the largest numbers in the downstate region, according to a report released today by the New York State Department of Health.
Pediatric admissions increased 17-fold in New York City and 8-fold in the Long Island/Mid-Hudson region between Nov. 28 and Jan 1, according to the report.
The health department report says 70% of children hospitalized with COVID-19 were symptomatic for COVID-19 at the time of admission.
About 60% of pediatric admissions were for COVID-19, while about 40% were for other reasons but had COVID-19 when admitted.
Statewide, pediatric admissions (18 and under) jumped from 85 in the week of Nov. 28-Dec. 4 to 571 in the week of Dec. 26-Jan.1. The Dec. 26 data included Christmas Day also, so it was data for eight days rather than seven.
For the same period, admissions in Long Island/Mid-Hudson regions rose from 9 in the week of Nov. 28-Dec. 4 to 112 in the week of Dec. 26 – Jan. 1 (again, including data from Dec. 25.) Overall a total of 194 children were admitted to hospitals in these two regions combined between Nov. 28 and Jan. 1 , according to the data presented in the report.
Hospitalizations among vaccinated children have increased over the same weeks, reflecting a reduction in vaccine effectiveness against the omicron variant. Nevertheless, as of the week beginning Dec. 20, unvaccinated children accounted for 65% of pediatric hospitalizations.
“Together these findings suggest an important pattern of increasing severe COVID-19 disease in the pediatric population,”the report states.
“This may be explained by a combination of lower full vaccination (and booster) coverage, changes in vaccine effectiveness, severity of the omicron variant, and/or other factors,” it says.
“Nonetheless, these data support that to directly protect the health of our youngest New Yorkers, vaccination of children remains a critical, highly protective strategy and should be combined with other measures to reduce exposure, such as mask wearing,” it reads. “Children 0 to 4 years are not currently eligible for vaccination and such additional measures remain important to protecting their health during the current winter wave.”
Pediatric Covid-19 Hospitalization Report by RiverheadLOCAL on Scribd
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