
More kids younger than 5 are sick with Covid-19 in the US this month than at any other time in the pandemic. None of these millions of children can be vaccinated yet, and almost half of them are too young to wear a mask. This is bringing a new wave of disruptions and stress for many families — especially those that rely on day care, preschool, and other shared child care — who have already endured almost two years of strain.
Various experts have reassured parents that children are not at high risk for severe disease, hospitalization, or death from Covid-19 (though certain underlying health conditions could raise the risk). Recent data from South Africa and the UK suggests that even among hospitalized babies and young children, the omicron variant seems to cause less severe illness much of the time, infecting the upper airways more than the lungs, the same as adults.
While this should give parents comfort, the sheer volume of cases this month from the super-transmissible variant means pediatric hospitalizations are reaching new highs, including among young kids.
Children younger than 5 have already consistently had the highest hospitalization rate of all children’s age groups for Covid-19. And new data out of South Africa reports higher proportions of kids under 5 being admitted to the hospital after testing positive for Covid-19 during the omicron wave than other ages, including older adults. Newborn babies remain the most vulnerable, and without guaranteed paid parental leave in the US, many parents must send them to day care when they are just 6 weeks old.
Even when Covid-19 infections in young kids are only very rarely severe, they can create havoc at home. With frequent breakthrough infections among the fully vaccinated and boosted, families must figure out how to protect themselves and others in the household — even more so if there are higher-risk members.
Our 3-year-old tested positive today and we assume the entire family is also positive. He attended daycare for two days. Good mask. Great hvac. Mostly outside. Dedicated, careful, fully vaccinated, heroic teachers. But omicron is just that contagious. He was exposed Tuesday.
— melody joy kramer (@mkramer) January 16, 2022
In a two-parent household, should one be the designated caregiver to a sick toddler, while the other isolates themselves? Will other children now be home because of their exposure? Who will be able to take time off of work to watch the kids? And what happens if all of the adults in the household get too sick to care for a baby or child who cannot care for themselves? These questions carry more crushing weight in a …….
Source: https://www.vox.com/22892065/omicron-covid-kids-risk-daycare-hospitalizations