Doctors worry COVID surge is more prominent among kids

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) — Doctors at Texas Children’s Hospital said that as of Monday they are treating more than 35 kids who are battling COVID-19. They worry they will see more kids in the coming weeks as schools reopen across southeast Texas.
Dr. Lara Shekerdemian, the chief of critical care, who said it’s too early to tell if the delta variant is more aggressive among children, resulting in a more severe illness. Regardless, she said it is clearly more contagious.

“We are very busy,” said Shekerdemian. “We have seen a real surge in COVID admissions over the last few weeks. There’s no sign that it is abating.”

Another doctor told he’s really worried about the trajectory of the COVID surge and what it may mean for health care in the greater Houston area.

“We are really worried about what’s going to happen,” said Dr. Jeffrey Starke, a professor of pediatric infectious diseases at Baylor College of Medicine. “If we do get a flood of these patients like I said, it is going to affect the health care. If you think your family is not being affected by COVID, that may be true if your family is well. If your family gets a different kind of illness for some reason, you may end up being very affected by COVID in terms of the services you can get for yourself or your children.”

The Texas Department of State Health Services reported 52,931 deaths as of Monday during the pandemic. Its numbers show 59 people ages 19 and younger have died.