(WWJ) State health officials say the surge of the fast-spreading omicron coronavirus variant could peak by the end of this month — while warning that this wave is hitting Michigan's youngest population.
Dr. Natasha Bagdasarian, Michigan Department of Health and Human Services chief medical executive, said Tuesday that COVID-19 hospitalizations in Michigan are on in the rise for all age groups, including children.
"We currently have 107 children in Michigan hospitals (with COVID-19), from our daily hospital census," Bagdasarian told WWJ's Dr. Deanna Lites. "Each day we have 22 new pediatric admissions, and admissions are 66% higher than the week of Dec. 20th."
Health leaders, including Luanne Ewald, CEO of C.S. Mott Children's Hospital, are growing concerned about a bed shortage for pediatric patients as COVID cases rise. She said there's been a tremendous jump in the number of children testing positive for COVID-19 in their emergency department, and their pediatric and cardiac ICUs are at full capacity.
"I am very worried," Ewald said. "There's a very real chance that we won't have enough beds to care for these critically ill children if the spread of omicron continues to increase."
So, all that considered, should kids be in schools? While opinion on the issue are mixed among the parents and the general public, Bagdasarian said proper steps are being taken to keep students as safe as possible in school buildings.
While the decision on whether or not to go remote has been left up to districts, Michigan health officials on Monday did offer updated K-12 school quarantine and isolation guidance. The changes reflect recent updates by the CDC that modify or shorten the quarantine and isolation periods to as short as five days in some cases.
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Changes include language on isolation guidance that allow students, teachers and staff to return to school sooner after infection, under certain circumstances. Quarantine guidance is also updated, allowing students, as well as staff and teachers, to return to school sooner after a school-based exposure. The guidance, MDHHS said, is designed to help K-12 schools maintain in-person learning. GET ALL THE DETAILS HERE.
MDHHS, meanwhile, is continuing to push COVID vaccination for kids as young as 5 years old, in combination with "layered prevention strategies." Bagdasarian said when masking, social distancing, testing, isolation and quarantine are applied consistently in K-12 schools, school-associated transmission of COVID-19 is significantly reduced.
“We always advocate for preventative measures that keep our children safe,” said Bagdasarian. “Children of school age – ages 5 and up – are now eligible to get vaccinated, and children ages 12 and up are eligible to get boosted. In addition to masking and testing, we feel confident that schools can remain as safe as possible for our children.”
It should be noted, however, that the last count by MDHHS on Jan. 7 found only 16.4% of Michigan kids ages 5 to 11 were fully vaccinated.
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Along with the kids, Bagdasarian said there's heightened concerned about young adults in this wave which has brought the highest weekly case counts in Michigan since the pandemic began.
She said cases are highest in the 20 to 29 age range.
Bagdasarian also noted that more people than ever in Michigan who are getting tested are testing positive. "When we look at our percent positivity, we are up to 33.2%. This is a number that we have not seen since the beginning on the pandemic when tests were very limited."
Bagdasarian noted that, looking at patients of all ages, 21.9% of beds in Michigan hospitals are currently filled with COVID patients.
Get the latest information on the coronavirus in Michigan at michigan.gov/coronavirus. To find a vaccine for yourself or you child, visit VaccineFinder.org.
