Physicians concerned as more children are hospitalized for COVID-19

Kids are not getting admitted to the hospital with COVID-19 at anywhere close to the same rate as older adults, but as more kids get the virus, Dr. Kimbrough said physicians have seen an increase in hospitalization rates in children.

SOME ALARMING COVID NEWS...AS STUDENTS PREPARE TO HEAD BACKTO SCHOOL...DOCTORS ARESEEING RISING ASECS AMONGCHILDREN.I'M CANDACE BURNS.AND I'M CHERYL MILLER IN FORBILL TONIGHT...<JIB OUR MELISSA HIPOLIT ISLIVE NOW WITH THE STORY -MELISSA?AS MUCH AS PARENTS MIGHT WANTTO VISIT THEIR CHILD IN ACLASSROOM, OR TEACHERS MIGHTWANT TO INTERACT WITHOUT MASKSON...I TALKED TO APEDIATRICIAN TODAY WHOSAID...WITH COVID NUMBERS GOINGUP...NOW IS NOT THE TIME TO RELAXCOVID-19 SAFETY MEASURES.NAT OF GIRLS PLAYINGAS SUMMER CAMP WRAPS UP AT RIVERROAD PRESCHOOL...NAT OF GIRLS PLAYING DIRECTORDANIELLE SIMONE'S NOT SURE WHATTO EXPECT WHEN THENEXT SCHOOL YEAR STARTS.429 WITH THE DELTA VARIANTINCREASING THE POSITIVITY RATESIWILL NOT BE SURPRISED IF WE DOSEE STRICTER RULES PUT INPLACE BY THE VDOE AS WE HEADINTO THE SCHOOL YEARSIMONE SAYS SHE'S RELIGIOUSLYFOLLOWED VDOE COVID GUIDANCE...ALL HER TEACHERS WEAR MASKSREGARDLESS OF VACCINATIONSTATUS WHEN INSIDE THE BUILDINGOR AT DROP OFF OR PICKUP...KIDS 5 AND UPWEAR MASKS...ALL THE CHILDRENDO A LOT OF EXTRA HANDWASHING...AND THE KIDS ARE COHORTED BYAGE...0225 THEY ARE STAYING WITHINTHEIR AGE GROUPS IN ISOLATIONBUT THIS SUMMER SIMONE MADE ONESMALL CHANGE...SHESTARTED TO ALLOW PARENTS TO COMEINSIDWE ITH THEIR MASKS ON...TODROP OFF THEIR CHILDREN.1:52 BUT THEY MUST DROPCHILDREN OFF AT THE DOOR, THEYARE NOT ALLOWED INTO THECLASSROOMSIMON EIS HOPEFUL SHE WON'T HAVETO PULL BACK ONTHAT...BUT SHE'S KEEPING ACL OSEEYE ON COVID NUMBERS...103 KIDS ARE MAKING UP ABOUT 20PERCENT OF NEW CASESDOCTOR TIFFANY KIMBROUGH IS APEDIATRICIAN AT THE CHILDREN'SHOSPITAL OF RICHMOND AT VCU.KIDS ARE NOT GETTING ADMITTEDTO THE HOSPITAL WITH COVID-19 ATANYWHERE CLOSE TO THE SAME RATEOLDER ADULTS ARE..BUT AS MORE KIDS GET THEVIRUS...DR.KIMBROUGH SAYSPHYSICIANS HAVE SEEN AN INCREASEIN HOSPITIALZATION RATES INCHILDREN...ALSO, SHE SAYSKIDS WHO CONTRACT COVID HAVE THEPOTENTIAL FORLONG HAUL SYNDROME.200 HAVING SYMPTOMS THATLAST BEYOND 4-6 WEEKS, THAT CANINCLUDE SHORTNESS OFBREATH, FATIGUE, MUSCLE PAIN,DIFFICULTY CONCENTRATINGHER ADVICE TO PARENTS...MAKESURE YOUR CHILD'S SCHOOL ORCAMP...IS STILL PRACTICING COVIDPREVENTION MEASURES.624 SO THIS IS NOT THE TIME TORELAXWHAT YOU MIGHT HAVE IMPLEMENTEDLAST YEAR?

EXACTLY642 AS WE ARE SEEING NUMBERS GOUP WE REALLY NEED TO DOUBLEDOWN ON THOSE EVIDENCE BASEDMEASURES, LIKE MASKING, TO HELPKEEP OUR KIDS SAFEDOCTOR KIMBROUGHSAYS...IF WE CAN ALL WORK ONKEEPING OUR CASE NUMBERSLOW...THAT IN TURN...WILLPROVIDE ANTOHER LE