Colorado kids hospitalized with COVID-19 up slightly, public health officials warn more could come

The fig of children hospitalized with COVID-19 successful Colorado is somewhat increasing, prompting nationalist wellness officials to measure however galore beds the authorities has successful the lawsuit of a autumn question of illnesses.

While Colorado is not yet seeing the precocious rates of pediatric hospitalizations arsenic successful different states, physicians person reported a emergence successful respiratory viruses that aren’t coronavirus — specified arsenic respiratory syncytial virus, oregon RSV. These illnesses typically look during the autumn and wintertime months, but this twelvemonth they besides showed up successful the summer.

“As we determination into the fall, I deliberation we’re going to beryllium seeing not conscionable accrued hospitalizations among children for COVID-19 but besides perchance with different respiratory viruses,” Dr. Rachel Herlihy, authorities epidemiologist for the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, said Thursday.

New cases of COVID-19 person continued to emergence arsenic the delta variant sweeps done the U.S., though Colorado hasn’t seen the aforesaid constraints connected infirmary capableness arsenic successful states wherever intensive attraction units are filling. Colorado did record 7,238 caller cases past week, which is much than 3 times arsenic galore arsenic successful mid-June erstwhile the diminution from the 4th question ended.

Coronavirus hospitalizations person accrued to the highest level since May, with 693 radical being treated for confirmed oregon suspected cases connected Wednesday, according to information from the wellness department. Most of the radical hospitalized are adults.

Overall, the fig of intensive-care beds successful usage successful the authorities has accrued from 72.4% to 80.6% successful the past 30 days. The usage of aesculapian and surgical infirmary beds person remained flat, CDPHE said.

“Given the summation we are seeing successful our pediatric population, (we) are opening to enactment connected a deeper dive into our pediatric ICU capacity,” said Scott Bookman, COVID-19 incidental commandant for the authorities wellness department.

In caller days, the politician has asked the state to mandate COVID-19 vaccines for wellness attraction workers and recommended that schoolhouse districts necessitate masks arsenic students instrumentality to classes.