US sees alarming spike in COVID cases as nearly 94,000 children test positive

Covid-19 instances in children in the United States are increasing at an alarming rate, with over 94,000 cases identified last week and trends indicating a "continuing substantial increase". According to a report published by The American Academy of Pediatrics, children currently account for 15% of Covid-19 cases in the United States (AAP).

The same set of figures appear to suggest that serious illness, hospitalisation, and death among children infected with the coronavirus are uncommon.

As per the report by AAP, in states where data was available, less than 2 per cent of all child Covid-19 cases required hospitalisation. Whereas, in states reporting, only 0.00-0.03 per cent of all child Covid-19 cases resulted in death.

The AAP report has also revealed that as of August 5,nearly 4.3 million children have tested positive for Covid-19 since the onset of the pandemic. Child cases have steadily increased since the beginning of July, says the AAP report.

At this time, nearly 60 per cent of US kids over 12 years have been fully vaccinated and nearly 70 per cent have got at least one shot. Shots for kids under 12 years have not yet been authorised.

Pfizer received emergency use authorization for vaccinating those 12 years of age and older; the Moderna and Janssen vaccines are authorised for people 18 years of age and older. Pfizer is expected to apply for emergency approval of its under -12 years shot by October this year. Meanwhile, schools have already started reopening for the Fall term.

The latest data from the Centers For Disease Control and Prevention are showing a remarkable shift in caseloads. The 5-11 year olds and 11-15 year olds now account for more cases per 100,000 population than do age group cohorts over 50 years.

National Institutes of Health Director Dr. Francis Collins said on Sunday that the highest number of children -- 1,450 -- were currently hospitalized with Covid-19 since the start of the pandemic.

Fears are spiralling that states without tough mask mandates will likely be slammed once again by rising Covid-19 cases as students return to the classroom. The CDC recommends universal indoor masking by all students (age 2 and older), staff, teachers, and visitors to K-12 schools, regardless of vaccination status.

US President Joe Biden said on Tuesday that he was "very concerned" about case trends among school children. He noted that most of the children getting sick are living in states with low vaccination rates.