CHARLOTTE, N.C. — The number of COVID-19 cases continues to climb across the Carolinas with the delta variant now the most dominant strain of the virus.
And now, we're hearing more and more about kids coming down with the virus. This has many parents concerned.
THE QUESTION
Is the delta variant spreading more rapidly in kids?
THE SOURCES
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
- Dr. Charles Bregier, Novant Health
- Dr. Catherine Ohmstede, Novant Health
- Dr. Michael Osterholm, Epidemiologist and Director of the Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy
THE ANSWER
Yes, the delta variant is spreading more rapidly in kids. However, so far no data shows that it will cause more severe infections.
WHAT WE FOUND
According to the CDC, some variants seem to spread more easily and quickly than other variants, which may lead to more cases of COVID-19.
That is something we are seeing locally.
"So the delta variant is spreading dramatically. You know, infection rates are way up, hospitalization rates are way up. This delta variant is thought to be extremely contagious, much more contagious than the original variations of the COVID virus," Dr. Bregier said, adding "we are concerned about the fact that it made spread more widely in our younger populations."
Dr. Ohmstede agrees, saying "We're seeing greater spread to children. And so we're seeing more cases with the delta variant than we were seeing with the alpha variant."
However, Dr. Ohmstede says how severe the cases are in children is yet to be seen.
"What we don't know yet is if the delta variant is going to be more severe in children, because most of the severe illnesses that we see from COVID-19 with MIS-C, is usually an inflammatory illness that lags about a month after the acute illness," adding "it remains to be seen over the coming weeks whether this delta variant will be similar or more severe in children."
Because of this, Dr. Osterholm says that when school begins, we'll see even more cases.
"There is no question we're going to see outbreaks in schools with this delta variant," Dr. Osterholm said. "The question is how many and how big will they get."
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