Thread by @DrEricDing

⚠️49% MORE SEVERE IN KIDS AGE 0-4—New South Africa🇿🇦CDC report shows that #Omicron has much high case-hospitalization in kids—⬆️48.9% higher case-admission rate than Delta—25% higher in kids 5-17. 📌Kids 0-4 case-admission rate also higher than in elderly! nicd.ac.za/wp-content/upl…

2) Where else do we see high hospitalizations in kids on par with hospitalization in elderly? In Utah, recent 2 week #COVID19 hospitalization showing huge surges in kids too 👇

3) Let’s step back and look at the pure hospitalization numbers in kids 6-17 — all time record in England 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿— actually 2.3x last winter’s record high. All these data from around the world are screaming for leaders to pay attention to protect kids. Kids should not be hospitalized!

4) But are cases in kids slowing? Not in kids! In fact the cases in England among 5-9 year olds (mostly not vaxxed) are still surging in kids.

5) Don’t forget that the hospitalization data does not capture #LongCovid — especially in kids. The number of kids with #LongCovidKids has tripled in 3 months, and doubled for those having it longer than a year! 👇

6) UPDATE - Pediatric #COVID19 hospitalizations have surged again in England 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿— another record high.

7) reminder—South African scientists already confirmed that #Omicron was more severe in children relative to old strain, in contrast to milder in adults. If we accept the adult milder then why don’t we accept the 20% more severe in kids results from the same data? No cherry-pick.

8) and again, the “case-admission” data is indeed a metric of severity. The SA report directly says it is a metric for infection severity. There’s no vagueness about it. Kids infected with #Omicron have it worse than delta. While adults have it milder. Both datasets confirm it.