Thread by @DrEricDing

📍4x kids hospitalizations—NYC reports “4-fold” increase in pediatric hospital #COVID19 admissions for Dec 19th versus week of Dec 5th. Over half of hospitalizations in kids <5–all unvaxxed. 🏥 in kids 5-11 all unvaccinated too. ➡️Protect kids! #vaccinate #MaskUp #Ventilate

2) Don’t forget it’s not just “hospitalizations”—most people with #LongCovid were never hospitalized. And children’s brains are very sensitive. We must protect kids from #LongCovidKids. Neuron damage (such as smell loss) is just the tip of the iceberg. 👇

https://twitter.com/DrEricDing/status/1474455354859831301

3) The surge in kids COVID hospitalizations is not just in NYC, but also in England. Pandemic record kids #COVID19 hospital admissions in England during the same week as the NYC spike!! This is now a multi-continental #Omicron crisis in kids.

Figure by @Antonio_Caramia

4) health commissioner @DrMaryTBassett warns: “The risks of COVID-19 for children are real. We are alerting NYers to this recent striking increase in pediatric COVID admissions so that pediatricians, parents can take urgent action to protect our youngest.
health.ny.gov/press/releases…

5) “We must use all available safe and effective infection control, prevention & mitigation strategies. Protect your children who are 5+ by vaccinating & protect kids <5 by making sure all of those around them have vaccination, boosters, mask-wearing, avoiding crowds & testing."

6) UPDATE- England kids hospitalizations for #COVID19 has spiked again… these are weekly averages, so real trends, not just daily variability. Anyone who denies Omicron serious risk in kids needs to sit down. Kids are **not practically immune** as one economist dismisses.

7) This isolation cut is not the best response to surging COVID when kids are being hospitalized more than ever.

https://twitter.com/DrEricDing/status/1475597650447712261

8) Pediatric hospitalizations for #COVID19 are also spiking to all time high in France 🇫🇷… this is now a global phenomenon, not a fluke.

9) Pediatric ICU hospitalizations for #COVID19 for ages 0-9 also at record high in France 🇫🇷— thus, it’s not just “basic” hospitalizations, as some minimizers claim.

10) overall #COVID19 hospitalizations are now OUTPACING forecasts in England. Essentially - worse than the “milder” projections.

https://twitter.com/DrEricDing/status/1476274288365867022