Thread by @DrEricDing

⚠️CDC warns of increased hospitalization rates of teenagers with #COVID19 in March-April, @CDCDirector urged parents to vaccinate teens. “I am deeply concerned by numbers of hospitalized adolescents &… see numbers who required ICU or mechanical ventilation”, citing new MMWR🧵

2) ““Much of this suffering can be prevented,” she said, urging “parents, relatives and close friends to join me and talk with teens” about the importance of prevention strategies and to encourage vaccination.

washingtonpost.com/health/2021/06…

3) “The study showed that nearly one-third of those who were hospitalized with covid-19 during a surge of cases early this year required intensive care, and 5 percent required mechanical ventilation.” cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/7…

4) While most covid-19 hospitalizations occur in older adults, severe disease that requires hospitalization has been shown to occur in all age groups. #Covid19 hospitalization rates among adolescents declined in January-February 2021, the report said, but increased March—April.

5) “Researchers suggest increased hospitalization among adolescents may be related to several factors, including more transmissible & potentially more dangerous virus variants, larger numbers of youths returning to school, and changes in physical distancing, mask-wearing”

6) If those prevention measures had not been practiced at all, “the rates of covid-19-associated hospitalization might have been substantially higher,” the report said.
A coronavirus vaccine wasn’t recommended for use in 12- to 15-year-olds until last month.

7) Even though the study is of a small group of adolescents, CDC officials expressed concern about the potential for severe disease and stressed the importance not just of vaccination, but of continued mask-wearing and other preventive behaviors until they are fully vaccinated.

8) “About 70% of adolescents in the study had at least one underlying medical condition, the most common obesity. But nearly 30% had no reported underlying condition, the report said, “indicating that healthy adolescents are also at risk for severe covid-19- associated disease.”

9)Researchers said the cumulative covid-19 hospitalization rates for the adolescents during Oct. 1, 2020 through April 24, 2021 were 2.5 to 3 times higher than seasonal influenza-associated hospitalization rates during three recent flu seasons.

10) Researchers said hospitalization rates may be underestimated since some clinicians may not have ordered tests for the virus, and adolescents hospitalized with Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in Children might not be identified if testing after 14 days after hospitalization.

11) Cases have also been rising in the UK as well. They don’t require masks in schools.

https://twitter.com/kit_yates_maths/status/1400775132319207424

13) What is the number one activity prior to symptoms onset in the UK for #COVID19 ? Schools and childcare.

14) What age group does the epidemic first start? Kids 11-16 in the UK 🇬🇧 according to latest PHE report.

15) Recently, Singapore Minister of Health has also sent out a pediatric warning.

https://twitter.com/drericding/status/1394380714041217026

16) Indian doctors also concerned about pediatric risk. Particularly severity that has changed.

https://twitter.com/drericding/status/1393699856812740608

17) @kavitapmd & I warned about this—“Today, many states are racing toward reopening, allowing even unvaccinated adults and children to congregate in places like churches, schools and stadiums, all while they record thousands of new infections each day.” nydailynews.com/opinion/ny-ope…

18) “we ended up with a state-by-state approach to the pandemic response, generally characterized by limited restrictions when case counts rise, reopening when case counts fall, then reinstating restrictions when cases rise again.” nydailynews.com/opinion/ny-ope…

19) “In the case of some states such as Florida, restrictions were removed despite a surge in the infection rate. After months of this on-again, off-again pattern, we are basically resigned to living with the virus, and many of us are suffering from dangerous complacency.”

20) We needs to be even more cautious about kids risk now that the #DeltaVariant #B16172 is proliferating worldwide. This variant has huge transmission risk in children and likely more severe. See thread.

https://twitter.com/drericding/status/1400745955671031813

21) To keeps kids safe we need both masks and ventilation / air quality upgrades in schools, per CDC recommendations. And it’s not that hard or even that expensive actually. Details here in thread 🧵

https://twitter.com/drericding/status/1365678603212648461