More than 4 million US children infected with Covid since start of pandemic
A new AAP and Children’s Hospital Association report has confirmed that more than 4 million children have contracted Covid-19 in the US, since the onset of the pandemic.
Figures up to 15 July show that 4.09 million children have been infected with the novel virus. Cases have been rising among children in recent months, according to the findings, with 23,500 cases among children in the week ending 15 July.
However, hospital admission rates among children remain low, with 1.3 per cent to 3.6 per cent of children treated in hospital for the disease. Child deaths after contracting Covid are lower than adults, across 43 states the mortality rates among kids account for up to 0.26 per cent of those recorded – eight states reported no child deaths at all, as a result of the virus.
“Severe illness due to Covid-19 is rare among children,” the report stated. “However, there is an urgent need to collect more data on longer-term impacts of the pandemic on children, including ways the virus may harm the long-term physical health of infected children, as well as its emotional and mental health effects.”
There have been 4,087,916 total child Covid-19 cases reported in the US, representing 14.2 per cent of national cases at the time of the report. As of Thursday, there had been 34,226,889 coronavirus cases in the US.
More than 609,862 people have died as a result of contracting coronavirus.
Various incentives have been launched to encourage the US public to take the coronavirus vaccine. Washington has offered joints for those who get jabs, while people who took the vaccine got free entry to a state-wide lottery with four cash prizes of $250,000 (£181,000) and a jackpot of $1 million (£730,000).
Other states, including Ohio, Maryland and New York have offered similar schemes, with prize purses of $1 to $5 million. Colorado offered scholarships to 25 students selected at random who opted to get a coronavirus jab. Maine offered each person jabbed a $20 LL Bean credit or a hunting and fishing licence. West Virginia even offered the chance to win cash, trucks and guns to those who got their coronavirus jabs and New Jersey offered beer vouchers to those who took the vaccine.
More than 338,025,000 people have been vaccinated in the US. Children over the age of 12 can now be vaccinated. The CDC maintains that coronavirus vaccines are safe and effective.
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