HOUSTON, Texas — The number of COVID-19 cases at Texas Children’s Hospital is heading in the wrong direction.
Dr. Jim Versalovic, co-chair of the TCH COVID-19 command and pathologist-in-chief, said the situation at their hospital has changed dramatically in the last week.
He said hospitalizations due to the omicron variant of COVID are way up.
“We can confidently say at this point that we are now at the beginning of a new omicron surge and that surge is affecting children as well as adults,” Dr. Versalovic said.
He said the virus is spreading rapidly across Houston.
As of Monday, there are at least 10 pediatric hospitalizations at TCH due to COVID.
“Our hospitalizations for those under 18 years of age have more than doubled in the past four days,” Dr. Versalovic said.
He said positive COVID cases have more than tripled in the past week.
“We are sitting today at about 15 percent. When we began the week exactly one week ago we were at less than five percent.”
Dr. Versalovic said that’s consistent with what they’re seeing throughout the Texas Medical Center.
“We are now seeing children under five hospitalized at Texas Children’s with COVID,” he said.
Right now Texas Children’s Hospital has vaccinated more than 35,000 eligible kids.
Dr. Versalovic said people need to do what best to stay safe which includes getting the vaccines and boosters.
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Also Monday, Harris County reported its first death from the omicron variant: a man in his 50s with other health issues. The county also raised the COVID-19 alert level from yellow back up to orange.