Covid and Children

[Occams Barber]

Covid & Children

I’ve been looking around the Web for world info on the direct, medical impacts (i.e., cases, hospitalisations, deaths) of Covid 19 on children. So far all I’ve turned up is dated data or discussion focussing on social impacts.

In my travels I came across a report put together by the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) covering U.S. child Covid cases at state and national level up to 8 July this year. U.S. CFers might be interested. Links to a summary and the full version of the report are at the bottom of this post.

From the AAP Report Summary:

“At this time, it still appears that severe illness due to COVID-19 is rare among children. However, there is an urgent need to collect more data on longer-term impacts of the pandemic on children, including ways the virus may harm the long-term physical health of infected children, as well as its emotional and mental health effects”.

What follows is a small summary of the data at 8 July:

Qualifiers

• ‘Child’ varies by state. For July 8 data a ‘child’ is generally between zero and 17, 18 or 19 years old depending on the state definition. Utah and Florida use an 0-14 range.
• Not all states keep age related data covering each topic. I’ve included the number of states contributing data to each bit of the summary
• Texas child case data is underreported by a factor of 33

Cumulative Cases (49 states + NYC, DC, PR & GU)

• 4,064,365 child Covid cases reported
• 5,400 cases per 100,000 children
• Children were 14.2 % of all cases

States​

• 9 states reported 18% or more of cases were children
• Highest cumulative child cases: California = 486,575
• Highest child % of total cases: Vermont = 22.7%
• Highest cases per 100,000 children: Rhode Island = 10,140
• 8 states reported more than 8,000 cases per 100,000 children

Cases Trend?
In the week ending 8 July reported child Covid cases were 22.30% of weekly reported Covid cases
(Compare this to 14.2% overall. A potential rise due to the Delta variant? - OB)


Hospitalisations (23 states + NYC)

• Children were 2.2% of total reported Covid hospitalisations
• 0.9% of child cases were hospitalised

(State high/low figures not included by me due to limited state reporting - OB)

Mortality (43 states + NYC, PR & GU)

• Cumulative child deaths stand at 344 as of 8 July
• Children are 0.07% of cumulative US Covid deaths
• 0.1% of child cases resulted in death

States​

• 8 states reported zero child deaths
• Highest cumulative child deaths: Texas = 55
• Highest child % of total deaths: Colorado = 0.25% (NB: Guam = 1.43%)
• Highest % of child cases resulting in death = 5 states on 0.02% (NB: Guam = 0.14%)

Sources
Children and COVID-19: State-Level Data Report (aap.org)
COVID-19 and Age (aap.org)
OB

 

[HTacianas]

Covid & Children

I’ve been looking around the Web for world info on the direct, medical impacts (i.e., cases, hospitalisations, deaths) of Covid 19 on children. So far all I’ve turned up is dated data or discussion focussing on social impacts.

In my travels I came across a report put together by the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) covering U.S. child Covid cases at state and national level up to 8 July this year. U.S. CFers might be interested. Links to a summary and the full version of the report are at the bottom of this post.

From the AAP Report Summary:

“At this time, it still appears that severe illness due to COVID-19 is rare among children. However, there is an urgent need to collect more data on longer-term impacts of the pandemic on children, including ways the virus may harm the long-term physical health of infected children, as well as its emotional and mental health effects”.

What follows is a small summary of the data at 8 July:

Qualifiers

• ‘Child’ varies by state. For July 8 data a ‘child’ is generally between zero and 17, 18 or 19 years old depending on the state definition. Utah and Florida use an 0-14 range.
• Not all states keep age related data covering each topic. I’ve included the number of states contributing data to each bit of the summary
• Texas child case data is underreported by a factor of 33

Cumulative Cases (49 states + NYC, DC, PR & GU)

• 4,064,365 child Covid cases reported
• 5,400 cases per 100,000 children
• Children were 14.2 % of all cases

States​

• 9 states reported 18% or more of cases were children
• Highest cumulative child cases: California = 486,575
• Highest child % of total cases: Vermont = 22.7%
• Highest cases per 100,000 children: Rhode Island = 10,140
• 8 states reported more than 8,000 cases per 100,000 children

Cases Trend?
In the week ending 8 July reported child Covid cases were 22.30% of weekly reported Covid cases
(Compare this to 14.2% overall. A potential rise due to the Delta variant? - OB)


Hospitalisations (23 states + NYC)

• Children were 2.2% of total reported Covid hospitalisations
• 0.9% of child cases were hospitalised

(State high/low figures not included by me due to limited state reporting - OB)

Mortality (43 states + NYC, PR & GU)

• Cumulative child deaths stand at 344 as of 8 July
• Children are 0.07% of cumulative US Covid deaths
• 0.1% of child cases resulted in death

States​

• 8 states reported zero child deaths
• Highest cumulative child deaths: Texas = 55
• Highest child % of total deaths: Colorado = 0.25% (NB: Guam = 1.43%)
• Highest % of child cases resulting in death = 5 states on 0.02% (NB: Guam = 0.14%)

Sources
Children and COVID-19: State-Level Data Report (aap.org)
COVID-19 and Age (aap.org)
OB

Cases Trend?
In the week ending 8 July reported child Covid cases were 22.30% of weekly reported Covid cases
(Compare this to 14.2% overall. A potential rise due to the Delta variant? - OB)

The rise is more likely due to adult vaccinations.

 

[Occams Barber]

The rise is more likely due to adult vaccinations.

Entirely possible.

The AAP report specifically mentioned an increase in child Covid cases (see below) leaving me looking for a reason. Note that the increase is both absolute (more child cases) and relative (more child cases relative to the overall case numbers. At the same time overall cases appear to be on the increase.

This left me looking for a reason for both increases and the obvious candidate was Delta with overall Covid slowed down by vaccination leaving child Covid increasing faster than overall Covid.

This could well be wrong but I suspect its too early to pick a winner.

From AAP on the early increases in child Covid.
Change in Child COVID-19 Cases*

• 19,482 child COVID-19 cases were reported the past week from 7/1/21-7/8/21 (4,044,884 to 4,064,365) and children represented 22.3% (19,482/87,374) of the weekly reported cases
• Over two weeks, 6/24/21-7/8/21, there was a <1% increase in the cumulated number of child COVID-19 cases (31,584 cases added (4,032,782 to 4,064,365))

OB

 

[Strathos]

I remember that one of the first people to die of the virus in my state was a 1-year-old child.

 

[mama2one]

seeing your child on a ventilator would be a parent's nightmare:


Mississippi health officials warn about delta 'surge' as 7 children in ICU due to COVID-19

 

[Phred]

FYI, globally more people have died in the first half of 2021 than died in all of 2020. This isn't over.

 

[durangodawood]

FYI, globally more people have died in the first half of 2021 than died in all of 2020. This isn't over.

Whoa. Link for this?

 

[Ponderous Curmudgeon]

Whoa. Link for this?

Worldmeter. ~1.9 million last year, total ~3.9 million on July 1

 

[Phred]

Whoa. Link for this?

Global COVID deaths in 2021 have topped all of last year's

 

[durangodawood]

Global COVID deaths in 2021 have topped all of last year's

Oh. You didnt say died of covid. Just "died". Not being picky. I just thought thats what you meant, which sounded pretty wrong of course.

Still a big deal, clearly.

 

[HeartNSoul19]

In addition to the direct effects of the Covid disease, something else worth considering is the social impact as well as the impact on children's education as a result of the changes in society secondary to the pandemic.

There are studies that show being locked up for this amount of time has had a negative impact that might be lasting for children of younger ages, in terms of their social skills development and their education.

 

[Phred]

In addition to the direct effects of the Covid disease, something else worth considering is the social impact as well as the impact on children's education as a result of the changes in society secondary to the pandemic.

There are studies that show being locked up for this amount of time has had a negative impact that might be lasting for children of younger ages, in terms of their social skills development and their education.

Republican propaganda.

 

[Ophiolite]

Republican propaganda.

That has very much the look of a knee jerk reaction to @HeartNSoul19's post, rather than a rational analysis of the issue. While certain right wing elements might well use such a study for propaganda that put's it in the same category as Darwin's On the Origin of Species, which has been cherry picked to attack Darwin and evolution.

It seems to me entirely plausible that the lockdown could be having a negative effect on children. It is also plausible that it could be having a positive impact. Perhaps it is a mix, or negative for some, positive for others. Regardless such studies should be considered when policies and budgets are being considered, rejecting them out of hand is counterproductive and potentially dangerous.

I call out ill-considered posts by anti-vaxxers and anti-evolutionists, not because they are anti-vaxxers, or anti-evolutionits, but because their posts are ill considered. I see no reason not to do the same for ill considered posts from members with whom I usually find myself in agreement.

 

[FrumiousBandersnatch]

In addition to the direct effects of the Covid disease, something else worth considering is the social impact as well as the impact on children's education as a result of the changes in society secondary to the pandemic.

There are studies that show being locked up for this amount of time has had a negative impact that might be lasting for children of younger ages, in terms of their social skills development and their education.

There's probably some truth in that - but there's also some truth in the fact that for people testing positive for Covid, regardless of symptom severity, over a third reported symptoms lasting at least 12 weeks (UK)... The prevalence of symptoms increases ~3.5% per decade of age, so it's not clear what the incidence or severity of 'long Covid' will be in children, but it's something to bear in mind, because some cases result in permanent organ damage.

 

[essentialsaltes]

The American Academy of Pediatrics said that 23,500 child cases were reported between July 8 and 15, representing 15.9% of the week’s reported cases.

A family in Georgia is mourning after a 5-year-old boy – described as someone who had “nothing but pure love” – died just days after being diagnosed with Covid-19.

Wyatt Gibson suffered a stroke and died on July 16 in a Chattanooga, Tennessee, hospital where he’d been intubated because he was having trouble breathing and his oxygen levels were low, his godmother Amanda Summey told CNN.

 

[Subduction Zone]

The rise is more likely due to adult vaccinations.

How so?

 

[Subduction Zone]

Entirely possible.

The AAP report specifically mentioned an increase in child Covid cases (see below) leaving me looking for a reason. Note that the increase is both absolute (more child cases) and relative (more child cases relative to the overall case numbers. At the same time overall cases appear to be on the increase.

This left me looking for a reason for both increases and the obvious candidate was Delta with overall Covid slowed down by vaccination leaving child Covid increasing faster than overall Covid.

This could well be wrong but I suspect its too early to pick a winner.

From AAP on the early increases in child Covid.
Change in Child COVID-19 Cases*

• 19,482 child COVID-19 cases were reported the past week from 7/1/21-7/8/21 (4,044,884 to 4,064,365) and children represented 22.3% (19,482/87,374) of the weekly reported cases
• Over two weeks, 6/24/21-7/8/21, there was a <1% increase in the cumulated number of child COVID-19 cases (31,584 cases added (4,032,782 to 4,064,365))

OB

Alright.. In regards to my previous post the claim sounded like conspiracy nonsense. But if a high percentage of adults are vaccinated and there is a low level of childhood vaccinations then it would make sense that a larger percentage of new infections would begin to come from the unvaccinated population, or in other words, children.

 

[Ponderous Curmudgeon]

Alright.. In regards to my previous post the claim sounded like conspiracy nonsense. But if a high percentage of adults are vaccinated and there is a low level of childhood vaccinations then it would make sense that a larger percentage of new infections would begin to come from the unvaccinated population, or in other words, children.

Plus we are relaxing quarantine and thus exposing more children.

 

[HTacianas]

How so?

It represents children as a percentage of new cases overall. Adults are being vaccinated, lowering the number of new cases among adults. By lowering the number of new cases among adults, children represent a higher percentage of new cases. It's really just a numbers game more than anything else. If we said we are going to vaccinate everyone name Smith and vaccinate no one name Jones, the Joneses would represent a higher percentage of overall new cases. We are vaccinating adults but not children.

 

[Subduction Zone]

It represents children as a percentage of new cases overall. Adults are being vaccinated, lowering the number of new cases among adults. By lowering the number of new cases among adults, children represent a higher percentage of new cases. It's really just a numbers game more than anything else. If we said we are going to vaccinate everyone name Smith and vaccinate no one name Jones, the Joneses would represent a higher percentage of overall new cases. We are vaccinating adults but not children.

I agree, sadly I have been exposed to so many conspiracy theory type claims that I thought that you might be espousing some new crazy one.

Sorry for misunderstanding you.