A child from Oneida County was hospitalized with COVID-19 last week.
This is the second time since the start of the pandemic someone younger than 18 from Oneida County has been hospitalized due to the virus.
In the early days of the pandemic, there was a lot of discussion about if kids could get COVID or even if they did was it really that bad.
While children don’t seem to get severe cases as often, they’re by no means immune.
Oneida County Health Department Director Linda Conlon says health officials are definitely seeing more cases of COVID-19 in children with this latest wave.
The under 18 age group has had the most COVID-19 cases out of any age group in Wisconsin in the last several, according to DHS data.
“It isn’t necessarily because Delta is more severe. It’s because we are transmitting Delta in the community and our kids aren’t protected. We don’t have that answer of if it’s more severe or not,” said Conlon.
Of those younger than 18 that diagnosed with COVID, roughly 1% percent have been hospitalized in Wisconsin. There’s been three confirmed COVID-19 deaths in the 10 to 19 age group in the state, no one under the age of 10 has died.
There currently is no vaccine available for children under 12. 36% of children 12 to 15 in Oneida County have gotten at least one dose of the vaccine. 47% of 16-17 year-olds have gotten a dose.
Symptoms tend to be similar in COVID-19 of adults and children.
Conlon said the health department has been noticing a lot more households coming down with the virus than during the previous surge.
Again, she attributes this to how quickly and easily the Delta variant can spread.
“Previously, even in our highest in our highest point of COVID cases in the last 18 months, we did not see the family transmission that we are seeing currently. Generally, what we are seeing is that one person is sick, it is usually spreading through the family,” said Conlon.
Conlon recommends wearing a mask around your family if you start noticing any symptoms.
Masks, frequent handwashing, cleaning of high-touch surfaces, and getting the COVID-19 vaccine are the best ways to keep you and your family safe.
“It’s been really that this approach is needed for Delta. The combined interventions that we have been talking about such as ventilation, masks, better [air] filtration, washing your hands. These are all ways that we know will work for keeping our kids safe. The more layers that we have, the less chance we have that the virus will get through to our kids,” said Conlon.
Conlon also recommends getting tested if you start showing any symptoms.
The virus is spreading throughout the community.
The Oneida County Health Department reported more than 55 new cases of COVID-19 last week.
The county has also seen two more deaths due to COVID in the last couple of weeks, bringing the total to 83 Oneida County resident who have died from the virus.
Conlon said as the case numbers have risen in recent weeks, so have hospitalizations.
“Our hospitals are starting to fill up again. Our children’s hospitals are definitely filling up. It’s starting to impact the other reasons for people to be hospitalized. If you have a stroke or a heart attack are hospitals are filling up and it’s starting to impact those services as well,” she said.
Conlon said you should still seek out medical treatment if you need it.
People are encouraged to get vaccinated. 59% of Oneida County residents have gotten at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine.
