PHOENIX – Data from the state’s largest hospital network shows that the hospitalization rate for COVID-19 pediatric patients in January is almost six times higher than in October.
ABC15 received Banner Health’s internal data showing that nearly 800 children have been admitted to their hospitals across Arizona.
Banner Health shared the graph below with the number of pediatric patients (under 18) included.
In an email, Banner Health said:
Note: These statistics for Banner’s Arizona hospitals are not specific to patients treated in the ICU. They also included patients who required less care.
- 795 children (18 years and younger) have been admitted with COVID since October 1, 2020
- In November, 2.5 times more children with COVID were admitted than in October 2020
- In December, 5 times more children were admitted with COVID than in October 2020
- In January 2021 it appears that 6 times more children will be admitted with COVID than in October 2020. (The number of January is projected, not year-to-date.)
A recent report released by JAMA Pediatrics last week found that Arizona saw the second highest rates of pediatric hospital admissions per 100,000 during the May to November study period.
“At the end of the study, Hawaii and New Hampshire had the lowest rates at 4.3 and 3.4 per 100,000, respectively, and South Dakota and Arizona the highest at 33.7 and 32.8 per 100,000,” the study said.
“Symptoms in children are generally milder than in adults and almost all pediatric patients can recover and be discharged, but the trend seen in more pediatric COVID-19 patients is concerning,” Banner Health officials said.
Banner Health officials say they have capacity for children in their hospitals, and there is no capacity issue.
“Parents must ensure that their children interact with others safely to protect them and reduce the further spread of COVID-19 in the community,” Banner Health officials said.