COVID infections in children are rising
NEW YORK - As the holiday season unfolds, pediatricians are sounding the alarm about rising COVID-19 cases among children.
Child cases have declined since a peak of 252,000 the week of Sept. 2 but COVID cases among children remain high, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics. Nearly 142,000 children tested positive for the virus between Nov. 11 and Nov. 18, an increase of about 32% from two weeks ago.
Dr. Peter Silver, the medical director of Cohen Children's Medical Center in Queens, said cases among adults and children are increasing.
"Fortunately, most children do well with COVID but that's not universal. We've seen an increase in pediatric hospitalizations here at Cohen's and elsewhere," Silver said. "And unfortunately, children continue to die from COVID."
Get breaking news alerts in the free FOX5NY News app | Sign up for FOX 5 email newsletters
Silver said he is expecting to see a spike in cases among children after Thanksgiving and Christmas.
"The best thing for the health and safety of the entire family is to get as much of the entire family who's eligible for the vaccine to be vaccinated, to get them vaccinated," Silver said. "That prevents spread from one member of the family to another."
Nearly 7 million children have tested positive for COVID-19 since the onset of the pandemic.