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Sep 2, 2021 - Health

Coronavirus cases up among children after start of school year

Tina Reed
Data: American Academy of Pediatrics; Chart: Jared Whalen/Axios; Note: Case data reported by 49 states, New York City, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and Guam. Hospitalization data reported by 23 states and New York City. Gaps in chart indicate weeks where no data was reported.
Data: American Academy of Pediatrics; Chart: Jared Whalen/Axios; Note: Case data reported by 49 states, New York City, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and Guam. Hospitalization data reported by 23 states and New York City. Gaps in chart indicate weeks where no data was reported.

The return to school across the U.S. coincided with surges in cases among kids, causing enough hospitalizations for children's hospitals to warn of capacity concerns.

By the numbers: There were roughly 204,000 child COVID-19 cases reported last week, according to the latest data from the American Academy of Pediatrics.

  • That was a 9% increase in pediatric cases, compared to the week before.

Zoom out: Tens of thousands of U.S. students have had to quarantine due to COVID this school year. Most recently, a South Carolina district reportedly had 9,000 students in quarantine.

  • A school district in Texas announced plans to close until after Labor Day after two teachers died of COVID-19.

Driving the news: Pediatric hospitals called for federal help for their "capacity crisis" in a letter to President Biden, NPR reported.

  • "With pediatric volumes at or near capacity and the upcoming school season expected to increase demand, there may not be sufficient bed capacity," the Children's Hospital Association said in the letter.

Go deeper: NIH to study long COVID in kids

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