ST. LOUIS (KMOX) - This week, around 30 children have been hospitalized due to COVID-19 infections in the St. Louis area – which is the most ever, according to the St. Louis Metropolitan Pandemic Task Force. It has acting leader Dr. Clay Dunagan concerned heading into the fall.
On Wednesday, the task force reported 27 children hospitalized, then that number jumped to 31 on Thursday. Each set new record highs. Dunagan said on Thursday that 10 of the children were in intensive care units
"We know Delta is much more contagious. We know that kids can transmit it more readily than they appeared to be able to do earlier. And we think it's more severe, which is landing kids who have something that compromises their health (in hospitals)."
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Dunagan says it's true that most children are healthy overall and tend to do well with Covid, but long haul symptoms and inflamatory syndrome can be devastating.
He says the next battle is going to be with parents of students.
"The next thing we have to overcome is a willings of parents to just send their kids to school when their sick and and an unwillingness to keep them home. And that is really an important problem as those parents who are not predisposed that way need to understand that those actions are putting their kids at risk and putting others at risk."
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