Local Health Official Says More Children Are Being Hospitalized For COVID-19

Local health officials say they are seeing more children admitted to hospitals amid the delta variant surge. 

Dr. Kacy Ramirez, a pediatric infectious disease specialist with Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist, says higher community transmission means more children are coming down with COVID-19. 

For the most part, she says, children end up with mild symptoms and recover quickly. But some are getting severely ill. 

“Any children with underlying comorbidities, so that includes asthma, that includes obesity," says Ramirez. "It includes children that might be African American or Alaskan Native, Hispanic, children that are immunocompromised, getting treatment for cancer. Those are the children that might be a little more susceptible to severe disease and infection.”

Ramirez says as the delta variant has taken hold, more teenagers and children with underlying conditions have been brought to the hospital for care. 

Statewide, children still make up a minority of COVID-19 hospitalizations. State data shows just 2% of those admitted from August 7-13 were under the age of 17.