The contagions by COVID-19 among minors under 18 years of age in U.S They are increasing rapidly with the arrival of the omicron variant with almost 200,000 new cases reported in the week ending December 23, 50% more than at the beginning of the month.
According to the latest data compiled by the American Pediatric Association (AAP, in English), released this Thursday, in the week ending December 23, 198,551 new infections were reported among children in the United States, representing 20.8% of the total. of cases reported in that period.
The previous week the number of infections among children was just over 169,000.
The medical association noted, however, that severe cases of COVID-19 among children remain rare.
Across the country, there are currently just over 2,100 children hospitalized with COVID-19, compared to 800 at the beginning of the month.
As an explanation for this rebound in child infections in the United States, experts point to the arrival of the new omicron variant as well as the low levels of vaccination among those under 18 years of age.
In the United States, less than a third of minors between the ages of 5 and 17, who are authorized to receive the available serums, have the double vaccination schedule.
In contrast, more than 70% of those over 18 years of age are fully vaccinated.
“Virtually all, not 100% but almost that number, of the children who are sick in a hospital with COVID-19 are children whose parents decided they did not want to be vaccinated. That’s avoidable, “said Anthony Fauci, chief epidemiologist in the government chaired by Joe Biden.
The omicron variant of the coronavirus continues to spread across the United States, although authorities insist it is less severe than the delta.
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