Study says more pediatric COVID-19 cases than expected

A recent report from the University of Southern Florida in Tampa indicates that the number of children with COVID-19 could be more than previously thought.

The investigators estimated that for each child who requires intensive treatment for COVID-19 that and additional 2381 children were infected by the virus. They also said that the confirmed case counts likely do not reflect the true numbers of the cases.

The research highlights a potential inability for the pediatric critical care centers to take of the children that could be affected if just 25% of the US population become sick with COVID-19 before the end of the year. Extrapolating the study’s data, 50,000 children would have severe cases of the disease and require hospitalization and 5400 would be critically ill and need ventilation.

For more on the research, see coverage from our sister publication Drug Topics.