In China and on the West Coast, data showed that kids mostly stayed out of the hospital if they got the new coronavirus. But it’s a different story in the D.C. area.
“We’re really experiencing something a bit different here on the East Coast,” said Dr. Roberta DiBiase, chief of the infectious diseases division at Children’s National Hospital in D.C.
Looking at data from across the U.S. on COVID-19 cases from Feb. 12 to April 2, the CDC found that among the 149,082 lab-confirmed cases where the age of the patient was known, 2,572 cases happened in kids under age 18. And among those cases, 33% were reported from New York City, 23% were reported from the rest of New York state and 15% from New Jersey.
“Whereas most COVID-19 cases in children are not severe, serious COVID-19 illness resulting in hospitalization still occurs in this age group,” according to the CDC.
DiBiase said that Children’s National has seen at least 40 kids hospitalized with the illness. Overall, the hospital has treated around 161 young patients; 155 were 21 or younger and 145 were 18 or younger. The hospital treats children and young adults up to 30 years old.
“One quarter of them have actually needed intensive care support,” DiBiase said.
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In D.C., there have been at least 102 confirmed cases for those 18 and under. In Maryland, there have been 490 confirmed cases in those ages 10 to 19, and 228 cases in those 9 and under. And in Virginia, there have been 179 cases in the 9 and under group, with 11 hospitalizations; there have been 355 cases in the 10-19 age group, with eight hospitalizations.
DiBiase said many of the children hospitalized have underlying conditions such as asthma, neurological issues, heart problems, obesity or diabetes.
Children’s National has a drive-up location where patients can be tested for the new coronavirus.
She urges parents to not wait to take their kids to the hospital if they have trouble breathing while sick. “It’s really those under a year of age and those over 15 years of age,” DiBiase said.
WTOP’s Valerie Bonk contributed to this report.
