While Ohio's youth have been faring relatively well in responding to the coronavirus (COVID-19), a concerning trend has recently emerged.
Appearing via video during Governor Mike DeWine's press briefing on Thursday, Dr. Amy Edwards of University Hospitals revealed that Ohio has seen a recent uptick in positive youth coronavirus cases.
"The vast majority of children are going to do great. They're either going to have asymptomatic or what we call paucisymptomatic disease, which is very minimal symptoms, which is typical for kids with respiratory viruses and certainly even with some of this new data coming in, children are nowhere near as affected as the older age groups," Edwards said.
"But in recent weeks or maybe for the next month or two, what we've been seeing is an increase in the number of kids who are testing positive for the coronavirus. Initially, some of that certainly could come down to increased testing. As we've been working with the state and other institutions to increase our testing, of course we've captured more kids because we were testing more kids. But what we've really been seeing recently is an increase in the percent of tests that are coming back positive, particularly in symptomatic children."
Edwards said that while it is to be expected that the state will seen an increase in coronavirus cases as it continues the process of reopening its economy, she said the situation is one worth monitoring. While children were previously testing positive at a 1-2 percent rate, that number has now climbed to between 5-6 percent.
"It's something we're keeping our eye on," she said. "It has been a steady increase and it has not stopped increasing as of yet. We gather information every day. And with that, we have seen a slight uptick in hospital admissions in COVID-19 for children."
Edwards also noted that the coronavirus symptoms for children aren't entirely different than what they are for adults. While some may seem manageable, such as stuffiness or a runny nose, Edwards advised to consult with a pediatrician if the child is having an increased difficulty in breathing or is experiencing a loss of appetite.