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75% of children and adolescents in the US have been infected with COVID-19

2022-04-26T19:16:43.100Z


Infection rates in those under the age of 17 skyrocketed between December and February, according to a CDC report. Almost 60% of the entire population has already been infected with coronavirus.


By Erika EdwardsNBC

News

More than half of Americans have antibodies against COVID-19, according to a study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Children and adolescents were especially affected by the omicron variant during the winter, and antibodies were detected in three quarters of this population, most of whom were unvaccinated.

In the study, the CDC examined blood samples taken from all age groups, testing for specific antibodies that develop only after coronavirus infection.

Eric Aviles, 6, gets vaccinated against COVID-19 in Santa Ana, California, on November 9, 2021. Jae C. Hong / AP

"This study only looks for the presence of antibodies from a previous infection and does not detect antibodies from vaccines or a booster," Dr. Kristie Clarke, a CDC pediatric health expert and lead author of the report, said Tuesday.

No population group was spared the omicron variant, which began to tour the country in December.

Antibody detection increased in all groups, according to the report.

Antibodies in the general population grew from 33.5% in December to 57.7% in February.

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Rochelle Walensky, director of the CDC, said this should not be interpreted to mean that antibodies from a past infection equate to adequate protection against future disease.

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"We don't know if that protection has diminished. We don't know as much about that level of protection as we do about what you get from both the vaccines and the boosters," Walensky said, adding that the agency continues to encourage those with detectable antibodies from a infection before they are vaccinated.

How many children have been vaccinated?

The increase in COVID-19 cases was most significant among the youngest: It rose from 44.2% in December to 75.2% in February among children 11 years old and younger, according to the CDC report.

The percentages were almost identical for those between 12 and 17 years old.

These results reflect a record number of cases among children in the omicron wave.

In January, the American Academy of Pediatrics reported a record number of children hospitalized with the virus.

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"We continue to believe that those who are vaccinated, and especially those who have the booster, continue to have strong protection against severe disease," Walensky said.

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The American Academy of Pediatrics said Monday that new pediatric coronavirus cases have increased 43% in the last two weeks.

Only 35% of children ages 5 to 11 have received at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, according to the CDC.

About 68% of those between the ages of 12 and 17 have received at least the first dose.

“As a pediatrician and as a mother, I would still absolutely support children getting vaccinated even if they have been previously infected,” Clarke said.

Does the CDC still recommend masks?

Overall, daily coronavirus cases in the United States have increased by about a quarter over the past week, Walensky said Tuesday, acknowledging that many cases may go undetected because multiple people are using rapid tests at home.

Hospitalizations in the US are slowly creeping up, up about 9% from the previous week,

though they remain low compared to winter's omicron wave, Walensky said.

“This is something we have to watch carefully,” he said, “we're looking at not just hospitalizations, but the character of hospitalizations. We see decreased oxygen use in ICUs, and we haven't seen, thankfully, any increase in deaths.” ”.

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"We are hopeful that the positive trends will continue," Walensky said.

Despite a recent ruling by a federal judge that struck down the requirement to use on public transportation, Walensky said the CDC continues to recommend the use of masks indoors with many people, including public transportation.

Before the transportation mask order was rescinded, the CDC was expected to reassess its guidelines on May 3.

"We know that when people wear a mask that fits tightly over their nose and mouth, they protect themselves and those around them," Walensky said. "The CDC continues to recommend the use of masks in all interiors of public transportation ", he added.

Source: telemundo

All news articles on 2022-04-26

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