US childhood SARS-CoV-2 infections surging with the current peak

Enlarge / NEW YORK CITY - AUGUST 08: A kid wears a face mask while riding a bicycle in Madison Square Park. (credit: Noam Galai / Getty Images)

The US is currently debating if and how schools can be reopened safely during the COVID-19 pandemic while dealing with a cloud of presidential misinformation. The debate is made difficult by a mix of ambiguous data about how much children contribute to the spread of the virus and some dramatic instances of the pandemic spreading within schools. Given the confusing and sometimes anecdotal evidence, it can be difficult to get a decent picture of how children are affected by SARS-CoV-2 and COVID-19.

Fortunately, the American Academy of Pediatrics and the Children's Hospital Association have decided to provide some perspective. The two groups have been gathering state-level data on a number of stats in children and compiling it to produce a national picture. While there are definitely limitations to the data, the picture it paints is one in which the national surge in infections is being paralleled by a surge in cases in children, with nearly 100,000 new cases in the last two weeks of July.

Data and its limitations

The American Academy of Pediatrics and the Children's Hospital Association have been analyzing childhood infections at weekly intervals, allowing researchers to track the pandemic's progression in the United States. Their most recent report covers up to July 30, and they have data going back to mid-April.

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