Tweens, 10-14, have highest COVID case rate in the state

Since the start of the pandemic, young adults ages 18 to 24 have had the most coronavirus cases per population – with about 20,900 per every 100,000 residents that age.

But since the surge in cases from the coronavirus' delta variant in August, 10- to 14-year-olds have seen the highest rates. During mid-August, that rate reached 871 cases per 100,000 people — the highest case rate for any age group since the pandemic began.

The first wave of the delta variant caused more children to have to be hospitalized. So far, there is no data from the state Department of Health and Human Services to indicate that omicron is sending more children to the hospital. But other states, like Ohio, Texas, Pennsylvania and New York, have reported a huge spike in pediatric hospitalizations.

"Anytime you have children coming together, there is always a risk of transmission," said Dr. Michael Smith, with Duke's Division of Pediatric Infectious Diseases. "Certainly children can transmit to other people in their home, so for all these reasons, the vaccine protects the child and those around them."

Triangle residents David Gonzalez and Ann Paturzo both had COVID-19 and were surprised when their son, who wasn't showing any symptoms, did too.

"He was asymptomatic and because I had it, the [whole] house tested and he was positive," Paturzo said.

She said her son is always hanging out with a group of boys, so the fact that the age demographic has high numbers doesn't surprise her.

"This is a group that is under vaccinated and a group that mingles much more than I think, probably most of us do," said Dr. David Wohl, an infectious disease specialist at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Medicine. "A lot of kids, especially with omicron, probably are asymptomatic or mildly symptomatic."

Both Smith and Wohl said vaccines and masks are best line of defense against coronavirus, especially when it comes to in-person learning.

Wohl is hopeful that soon North Carolina's vaccination rate will be so high that the state will no longer be tracking cases but only hospitalizations.

"If the number of people who can get hospitalized and really, really sick and die becomes so small, then we don't have to do all this protective stuff to protect that small minority, because the chances are, they won't get infected," he said. "But right now, there are too many people who can get very sick."

Victoria Lima, 11, is vaccinated but says she is still taking measures to make sure she’s safe against COVID-19.

"I always wear my mask, even if it says I don't have to," Lima said. "I do it to keep my family safe, especially my grandma."

This week's data shows there are 289 cases out of every 100,000 people in Victoria’s age group – those who are 10 to 14 years old. It’s something parents, including Victoria’s mom didn’t know.

"It’s concerning for the kiddos," Elizabeth Lima told WRAL News.

Kalyani and Vikas Gaddu, parents of two vaccinated children, said they will increase how cautious they're being now learning about how many children are getting infected.

"I expect more cases with the holidays," Vikas said. "But I am a little surprised that that age group is the largest one."