11% of NC COVID cases are children under 18, four deaths under age 25
Only 11% of North Carolina's 166,127 confirmed coronavirus cases are in children between the ages 0 and 17, and only one child in that age group died from COVID-19, state health officials said Monday.
Posted — UpdatedFour COVID-19 child deaths in NC
The Child Fatality Task Force, which examines the causes and prevention of death in children, focused on COVID-19 during their regular meeting on Monday. A little over 18,000 NC children under 18 have been infected with COVID-19, and that number has been decreasing since mid-July, officials said.
However, officials have seen a "noticeable increase" in cases in young people between 18 and 24. Three people in that age group have died of COVID-19 in NC.
Three ongoing coronavirus clusters have been reported in schools, officials said, for a total of 22 cases, and 21 clusters have been reported in childcare facilities, for a total of 258 cases.
Since children usually have mild to no symptoms from COVID-19, there may be more cases, officials said.
Children may be less likely to get, spread COVID-19
New studies show children, especially those under 10, may be less likely to get and spread COVID-19. Unlike adults, children are more likely to have a mild illness -- or no symptoms at all -- if they contract COVID-19. Like adults, those with underlying health conditions may suffer more severe cases.
Although some children have been hospitalized, it is very rare.
Also like adults, Black and Latinx children are disproportionately affected by COVID-19, officials said.
International data shows that the reopening of schools has not played a major role in the spread of COVID-19.
Officials said COVID-19 is more likely to be spread at home than at school, since masks and social distancing are in place in schools.
Countries that reopened schools after their cases trended down did not see large rises in coronavirus cases, officials said.
COVID-19 and pregnancy
The American Academy of Pediatrics and the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists recommend that infants stay with their mothers, especially if breastfeeding, even if the mother is infected with COVID-19.
Emergency room visits and accidents
There are between 20 to 50 firearm-related ER visits in children per month in the state, officials said, and a 18% increase during the pandemic. The most common cause is the accidental discharge of a firearm by an adult.
Looking at mental health-related ER visits, there has been a 19% decrease in NC this year, and the numbers started trending down in March. In children under 18, there was a 30% decrease overall.
ER visits related to motor vehicle crashes are also trending down by 25% among all ages and by 30% in children under 18.
There has been an increase in visits due to overdoses during the pandemic, and a 19% specific increase driven by opioid overdoes.
Over 1,000 more visits have been reported this year than in 2019 due to overdoses, officials said, but most are in adults.
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