No, COVID isn’t a benign infection in kids. Florida doctors urge unity to fight virus https://www.miamiherald.com/opinion/op-ed/article257333432.html As chairs of pediatrics in Florida’s medical schools, we are unified in our fight to protect Florida’s children against COVID-19 infections, hospitalizations, deaths and long-term sequelae. Protecting our children against COVID-19 requires alignment and collaboration among Florida’s pediatricians, nurses, health systems, public-health experts, parents, schools, child-care centers, communities, media outlets and policymakers. This requires all of us to be on the same page about the facts: ▪ COVID-19 is a crisis for our children. About 8.4 million US children — over one in 10 — have tested positive for COVID-19 since the pandemic onset. More children are testing positive for COVID-19 now than ever before, and the numbers are skyrocketing. COVID-19 is disrupting how children learn and families function. ▪ COVID-19 is not a benign infection in children. Hospitalizations of children with COVID-19 soared by 52% over the last month to reach an all-time peak, and 823 US children have died of COVID-19 since the start of the pandemic. Another 55 children have died of multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C), a late result of COVID-19 infection, and there is emerging evidence that some children, even those with mild symptoms, experience “long-haul” COVID with long-lasting breathing, heart, brain and cognitive problems, including diabetes risk. ▪ Vaccines protect children against serious COVID-19 infection. The science is clear: Vaccines are safe and effective. Nevertheless, two months after the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved COVID-19 vaccinations for 5- to 11-year-olds, only 14% have received the initial two immunizations, and only 53% of 12- to 17-year-olds are fully vaccinated. ▪ COVID-19 is not a benign infection in children. Hospitalizations of children with COVID-19 soared by 52% over the last month to reach an all-time peak, and 823 US children have died of COVID-19 since the start of the pandemic. Another 55 children have died of multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C), a late result of COVID-19 infection, and there is emerging evidence that some children, even those with mild symptoms, experience “long-haul” COVID with long-lasting breathing, heart, brain and cognitive problems, including diabetes risk. ▪ Vaccines protect children against serious COVID-19 infection. The science is clear: Vaccines are safe and effective. Nevertheless, two months after the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved COVID-19 vaccinations for 5- to 11-year-olds, only 14% have received the initial two immunizations, and only 53% of 12- to 17-year-olds are fully vaccinated. We propose several steps to protect Florida’s children against COVID-19. We must leverage the power of accurate, real-time data to combat pediatric COVID-19. We urgently need a Florida state online dashboard that provides daily updated pediatric data on numbers of pediatric COVID-19 cases, hospitalizations, intensive care unit admissions, MIS-C cases and deaths. This dashboard should also provide data by county to identify hot spots and outbreaks; vaccination rates; and infection rates among children who are unvaccinated, received at least one vaccine dose and received all recommended doses. It should also report data by age groups, including those under 5 years old, because they are not yet eligible for COVID-19 vaccines. Countering COVID misinformation We urgently need to improve how we communicate with parents about the importance of COVID-19 vaccines, counteract misinformation and increase vaccination rates. Multiple studies document that vaccination decreases COVID-19 infections, severe disease, hospitalizations and deaths. Recent surveys, however, indicate 47% of parents of 12- to 17-year-olds and 68% of parents of 5- to 11-year-olds say they will definitely not get their child vaccinated, will only do so if required by schools or want to wait and see how vaccinations are working for other children. We must work to increase booster vaccines in children because the current omicron surge threatens further disruption of our schools. And we must be ready in the spring to immunize children under 5 years old if data demonstrate vaccine effectiveness and safety, particularly since the number of such young children hospitalized over the past month has reached a pandemic all-time high. We need better outreach to our most vulnerable populations. Compared with their white counterparts, Black, Latino and Asian children have lower rates of COVID-19 testing but are more likely to be infected; Black and Latino children and those with chronic illnesses or developmental disabilities are more likely to be hospitalized and develop MIS-C; and Latino, Black and Native American children have higher death rates. Better outreach can be achieved by community engagement and pediatric mobile clinics administering vaccines in underserved neighborhoods. We must ensure that any child who needs COVID-19 testing can obtain it expeditiously. How to protects kids Our greatest improvements in child health — from vaccines that protect against many childhood infections to survival of infants born four months early — were achieved because we followed the science. So we must use science to protect our children in schools and daycare. Besides vaccination, the most effective measures for reducing COVID-19 infection risk are properly using medical masks, frequent hand washing and discouraging face touching. These measures should be consistently implemented in Florida’s schools and daycare, along with evidence-based protocols for testing, isolation and quarantining, and urging vaccination of adults caring for children in our schools and daycare. As President John F. Kennedy noted, “Children are the world’s most valuable resource and its best hope for the future.” Let’s work together now to protect Florida’s children against COVID-19. Dr. Glenn Flores is chair of pediatrics and senior associate dean of child health at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine.. Dr. Daniel Armstrong is executive vice chair of pediatrics and director of the Mailman Center for Child Development at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine.. Dr. Patricia Emmanuel is chair of pediatrics at the University of South Florida College of Medicine. Dr. Mark Hudak is chair of pediatrics at the University of Florida College of Medicine — Jacksonville. Dr. Desmond Schatz is interim chair of pediatrics at the University of Florida College of Medicine.
Always fun going back in time. Gives perspective to the current fear porn. Remember when we masked kids for H1N1? When we shut down the economy? Required vax passports to eat? Yeah, neither do I. CDC sharply raises H1N1 case estimates; kids hit hard Dec 10, 2009 (CIDRAP News) – Another month's worth of data on H1N1 influenza has led federal officials to more than double their estimates of total cases, hospitalizations, and deaths and to assert that the impact on children and younger adults has been far greater than that of a typical flu season. After analyzing data for the weeks from Oct 18 through Nov 14, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimated that 47 million people, or about 15% of the population, have been infected and 9,820 have died in the pandemic. That compares with estimates of 22 million cases and 3,900 deaths issued Nov 12 and covering the period from April through Oct 17. The new estimate of hospitalizations is 213,000, compared with 98,000 a month ago. "By Nov 14, many times more children and younger adults, unfortunately, have been hospitalized or killed by H1N1 influenza than happens in a usual flu season," CDC Director Dr. Thomas Frieden said in a news briefing today. The additional weeks covered in the latest report spanned the peak period for the fall wave of H1N1. In terms of the number of states reporting widespread activity, the last 2 weeks in October marked the crest, with 48 states in that situation. The number dropped to 43 states by the second week in November and has declined further since. 16 million cases in children In an online report, the CDC estimated there have been 16 million cases in children up through age 17, leading to 71,000 hospitalizations and 1,090 deaths. For adults age 18 through 64, the agency estimated 27 million cases, 121,000 hospitalizations, and 7,450 deaths. For elderly people, who are believed to have some protection form the virus because of past flu exposures, the new estimates are 4 million cases, 21,000 hospitalizations, and 1,280 deaths. Less than 5% of the increases in total cases, hospitalizations, and deaths are explained by late reporting of events that occurred before Oct 17, the CDC report says. Frieden commented, "There is some correction for late reporting. But there has been a lot more disease in the month that's reported than in the months before." All the numbers represent the midpoints of ranges of estimates the CDC produced with a new estimation method, which was unveiled Nov 12. The numbers of confirmed cases and related hospitalizations and deaths are far lower, because most people infected, including some who get severely sick, are not tested. Comparing H1N1 with seasonal flu When he was asked to compare the H1N1 pandemic with seasonal flu, Frieden said, "We know that it's much milder for older people. It's much less likely to result in death because older people are much less likely to get infected. But it has been a much worse flu season for people under the age of 65, particularly younger adults and children." According to CDC estimates that are often quoted, the nation has about 200,000 flu-related hospitalizations and 36,000 deaths in an average flu season, with about 90% of the deaths occurring in elderly people. Frieden noted today that the pandemic estimates are not derived in the same way as these seasonal flu estimates. While the estimation methods are different, seasonal flu is believed to cause fewer than 1,000 deaths per year in people younger than 50, he added. He said the CDC doesn't have a specific estimate of H1N1 deaths among adults under age 50, but a "large share" of the adult deaths are in that group. "So it is really many times more severe in terms of severe illness, and hospitalizations are several times higher for children and young adults than in a usual flu season," he said. The CDC estimates that between 5% and 20% of the population get seasonal flu in an average year. If 15% of people have already been infected with H1N1, the nation, 8 months into the pandemic, is already approaching the upper end of the average attack rate for seasonal flu. However, the estimated death toll so far, 9,820, remains well below the estimated seasonal flu toll of 36,000, though children and younger adults make up about 87% (8,540) of that total, the opposite of what is seen with seasonal flu. Meanwhile, the estimate of 213,000 H1N1 hospitalizations is slightly above the estimate of 200,000 hospital cases for a typical flu season. In terms of case-fatality rate (CFR), the new CDC estimate of 9,820 deaths in 47 million cases translates into an overall rate of about 0.021%, or about 210 deaths per million people sickened by the virus. That's just slightly higher than the 0.018% CFR indicated by the previous CDC estimate of 3,900 deaths among 22 million cases. But the CFRs differ considerably by age-group. The CFR for children, with an estimated 1,090 deaths in 16 million cases, comes to 0.007%, or about 70 deaths in a million cases. The CFR for adults between 18 and 64 comes out much higher, at 0.028%, or 280 deaths per million. And the rate for the elderly is higher yet, at 0.032%, or 320 deaths in a million cases—supporting the view that while seniors seem less likely to get sick, they are more likely to die if they do. Time to get vaccinated Frieden used the new estimates to stress the importance of getting vaccinated against the pandemic virus. If about 15% of the population has already been infected, he said, "That still leaves most people not having been infected and still remaining susceptible to H1N1 influenza." He reported that another 12 million doses of vaccine became available in the past week, bringing the cumulative total to about 85 million doses. Many states now have met the vaccine demand from priority groups and have begun offering doses to everyone, he added. The CDC in the past week began offering the vaccine to all employees, in line with state policy in Georgia, Frieden reported. He said he would get the nasal-spray vaccine himself in a few days. Though cases have been declining recently, vaccination is prudent given the possibility of a third wave of cases this winter, he said. "Flu season lasts until May. And we don't know what the future will bring in terms of H1N1 influenza," he observed. See also: CDC estimates of H1N1 cases, hospitalizations and deaths through Nov 14 http://www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu/estimates_2009_h1n1.htm Nov 12 CIDRAP News story "CDC's new estimation method raises H1N1 numbers"
So Covid had over 80 times more deaths in the United States than the H1N1 flu as outlined by your data. Seems you are just underlining why Covid needs to be addressed with proper public health measures since it is much more of a threat than a bad flu season.
That would assume all COVID deaths were truly from COVID and not with COVID. Back in the day of H1N1, that wasn't a concern because there wasn't a narrative and it wasn't political. Now we know that people who died "with COVID" were counted as "from COVID" - well, some of us knew this all along.
It's factual that many elderly that died from Covid but at home (not in a hospital nor in a long care home facility). The above is just one situation involving under-counting. Another situation involves counties or states intentionally altering their data to keep down their Covid numbers / deaths. Also, if a person that is DIABETIC, as an example...not sick, not in the hospital and living life normally... The person then becomes Covid infected and dies from Covid Pneumonia...some places will list that as a person that died from Covid while others will list it differently because of diabetes. In contrast, a person that is sick or ill from Diabetes and then becomes infected with Covid...then dies from Covid Pneumonia...it should be listed as a co-morbidity. Heck, there's a fat lady (very over-weight) that I see jogging by my house most evenings (even in the winter). She's also my local eyeglass person at a nearby eyewear store. She has never been hospitalized from any health illness because she's overweight or anything else except for when she gave birth about 10 years ago. If she catches Covid today, is hospitalized, and dies...did she die of Covid or die from being overweight as in a co-morbidity ??? My point, hospitals know when to list someone's death as a co-morbidity and when not too especially when the person was walking around normally and living life normally prior to their positive Covid test that then escalated quickly into a severe Covid illness in which they're no longer living life normally. wrbtrader
And there it is, GWB_NPC's canned response #4 when people dare question his Religion™. "Enjoy Your Fantasy" Right above "Go Read"
Almost 1 Million Children’s COVID-19 Cases Were Reported Last Week Studies show that Black children are disproportionately affected by the virus https://www.newsonyx.com/almost-1-million-childrens-covid-19-cases-were-reported-last-week/ Last week, nearly one million COVID-19 cases reported in the U.S. were children. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), numbers show that over 981,000 child cases were reported during that week. That is 69 percent more than the previous week’s 580,000 cases. This spike, the outlet said, is “four times the rate of the peak of last winters’ surge.” However, AAP indicated that the new case count might not represent the definite number of COVID-19 cases in children since many of them aren’t tested due to test shortage or are tested with rapid tests at home. The rise reflected the new rapidly-spread strain of COVID-19, Omnicron, and not the idea that children are more vulnerable to the virus. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported that Omnicron was more aggressive than the original strain of COVID-19. Ironically, the Omicron variant proved to be milder amongst children below age five, said a CDC study. The study also showed that compared to kids infected with the Delta variant, those infected with Omicron experienced 70 percent fewer hospitalizations and intensive care unit admissions. In addition, the study showed that Black children were disproportionately affected by both the variants, but most notably, Omicron. Over 25 percent of them were infected with the virus. Yet, under 15 percent of Black kids were in contact with the health care system during the same time as other groups. Dr. Sarah Ash Combs, an emergency room doctor at Children’s National in D.C., said that most children hospitalized there due to COVID-19 are Black. It has also been reported that a majority African American ward in D.C., Ward 8, saw the most cases of the virus in the entire district and said the lowest vaccination rates there. In total, almost 9.5 million children have tested positive for the virus since the pandemic started, AAP said.
GWB-Trading, a Biden supporting baby boomer, cites an article that claims Covid-19 is racist because it disproportionately affects black children.