Calif. Adds 12,000 Pediatric Coronavirus Cases Within Two Weeks

CALIFORNIA — At a time when California students would typically be crowding campuses at the start of a new academic year, the state has seen a massive surge in positive COVID-19 cases among children under 17. In the last two weeks alone, the state added more than 12,000 new positive pediatric cases.

Data collected July 30 from the American Academy of Pediatrics and the Children's Hospital Association revealed a 40% increase in positive cases, a spike that raised alarm nationwide.

In California, from May 1 to August 1, the positive reported cases among children jumped from 3% to 9%, according to Corey Egel, the California Department of Public Health's acting deputy director of public affairs.

"It is possible that the change in the proportion of cases in children reflects changing testing patterns," Egel said.

At a Wednesday briefing, Gov. Gavin Newsom attributed the rise in new cases to a significant backlog of reports, which will be sorted out to produce a new positivity rate in the coming days.

Although Egel added that children are less likely to have a severe bout with the virus, there is a severe condition that has affected a small population of infected children.

Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome, although rare, can be deadly and can result in inflammation of the heart, lungs, kidneys, brain, skin, eyes, or gastrointestinal organs. Children with MIS-C can also experience fever, abdominal pain, gastrointestinal issues, rashes and fatigue.

As of August 11, 36 cases of MIS-C have been reported statewide, according to Egel.

As state officials look to health data to determine whether to reopen schools, the new surge of cases could affect plans to reopen.

There are currently 38 counties listed on California's monitoring list that will not physically open campuses for in-person instruction until positivity rates and hospitalizations maintain a specified low for 14 consecutive days.

"Parents should take precautions to reduce the transmission of COVID-19, encouraging their children to physically distance, wear a mask, and practice good hand hygiene," Egel said.