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Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report
Early Release / Vol. 70 September 3, 2021
Hospitalizations Associated with COVID-19 Among Children and Adolescents — COVID-NET, 14 States, March 1, 2020–August 14, 2021
Miranda J. Delahoy, PhD1,2; Dawud Ujamaa, MS1,3; Michael Whitaker, MPH1; Alissa O’Halloran, MSPH1; Onika Anglin, MPH1,3; Erin Burns1; Charisse Cummings, MPH1; Rachel Holstein, MPH1; Anita K. Kambhampati, MPH1; Jennifer Milucky, MSPH1; Kadam Patel, MPH1,3; Huong Pham, MPH1; Christopher A. Taylor, PhD1; Shua J. Chai, MD4,5: Arthur Reingold, MD4,6; Nisha B. Alden, MPH7; Breanna Kawasaki, MPH7; James Meek, MPH8; Kimberly Yousey-Hindes, MPH8; Evan J. Anderson, MD9,10,11; Kyle P. Openo, DrPH9,10,11; Kenzie Teno, MPH12;
Andy Weigel, LMSW12; Sue Kim, MPH13; Lauren Leegwater, MPH13; Erica Bye, MPH14; Kathryn Como-Sabetti, MPH14; Susan Ropp, PhD15; Dominic Rudin16; Alison Muse, MPH17; Nancy Spina, MPH17; Nancy M. Bennett, MD18; Kevin Popham, MPH19; Laurie M. Billing, MPH20;
Eli Shiltz, MPH20; Melissa Sutton, MD21; Ann Thomas, MD21; William Schaffner, MD22; H. Keipp Talbot, MD22; Melanie T. Crossland, MPH23; Keegan McCaffrey24; Aron J. Hall, DVM1; Alicia M. Fry, MD1; Meredith McMorrow, MD1; Carrie Reed, DSc1; Shikha Garg, MD1,*;
Fiona P. Havers, MD1,*; COVID-NET Surveillance Team
Although COVID-19–associated hospitalizations and deaths have occurred more frequently in adults,† COVID-19 can also lead to severe outcomes in children and adolescents (1,2). Schools are opening for in-person learning, and many prekindergarten children are returning to early care and educa- tion programs during a time when the number of COVID-19 cases caused by the highly transmissible B.1.617.2 (Delta) variant of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, is increasing.§ Therefore, it is important to monitor indica- tors of severe COVID-19 among children and adolescents. This analysis uses Coronavirus Disease 2019–Associated Hospitalization Surveillance Network (COVID-NET)¶ data to describe COVID-19–associated hospitalizations among U.S. children and adolescents aged 0–17 years. During March 1, 2020–August 14, 2021, the cumulative incidence of COVID-19–associated hospitalizations was 49.7 per 100,000 children and adolescents. The weekly COVID-19–associated hospitalization rate per 100,000 children and adolescents dur- ing the week ending August 14, 2021 (1.4) was nearly five times the rate during the week ending June 26, 2021 (0.3); among children aged 0–4 years, the weekly hospitalization rate during the week ending August 14, 2021, was nearly 10 times that during the week ending June 26, 2021.** During June 20– July 31, 2021, the hospitalization rate among unvaccinated adolescents (aged 12–17 years) was 10.1 times higher than that among fully vaccinated adolescents. Among all hospitalized children and adolescents with COVID-19, the proportions with indicators of severe disease (such as intensive care unit [ICU] admission) after the Delta variant became predominant (June 20–July 31, 2021) were similar to those earlier in the pandemic (March 1, 2020–June 19, 2021). ...
