Minor hospitalization is growing in the United States

Washington – The US government has just urged children over the age of five to get immunized against COVID-19 due to the high incidence of hospitalizations of minors due to Omicron’s progression. “Hospitalization is increasing for all age groups, and although hospitalization rates for children are declining, we have the highest admissions for minors in the pandemic to date,” warned Rochelle Walinsky, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

About 1,000 minors were hospitalized in the United States on Wednesday, a record daily admission for sick children since the start of the pandemic. Walensky lamented that only 16% of 5-11-year-olds were fully vaccinated and noted that 12-17-year-olds could actually receive a booster dose. “We know that vaccines prevent serious diseases,” he insisted.

Walinsky explained that there is no scientific evidence that the Omicron variant is more dangerous for children, and noted that there are more minors in hospital, because there are more infections than previous waves. As of today, more than 3,100 minors are hospitalized as a result of the coronavirus. The previous record for admissions to children in the summer was reached at the height of the wave caused by the delta variable, when 400 minors were hospitalized in one day.

The increase in the number of children and teens in hospitals coincides with the return of students to the classroom after the Christmas holidays, but the world has defended that schools have safe protocols.

The CDC director also explained the confusion that arose when the United States reduced the quarantine to five days for people with omicrons without symptoms. He said onset of symptoms should be counted on day zero and that confinement could be lifted on day six if the person was asymptomatic and always wore a mask.