HOUSTON — The number of children hospitalized with COVID-19 has risen to levels never seen before in Houston.
For the first time during the pandemic, more than 75 kids are hospitalized with COVID-19 at Texas Children’s Hospital.
“It’s very important to point out, we’re not exactly sure when that peak will occur and what that peak will look like. We’re still climbing,” said Dr. Jim Versalovic, Texas Children’s Hospital Pathologist in Chief.
Doctors said more than a third of the COVID patients at TCH are younger than 5, so they are not yet eligible to be vaccinated. Versalovic said most have not needed ICU care.
“There is some really good news, though, in terms of hospital capacity. We’re not seeing the strain on our ICU bed capacity that we saw last summer. Not yet. Hopefully, that will continue to be true this month,” Versalovic said.
In the meantime, new cases among children are breaking records, too. Doctors are urging parents to get their children vaccinated and boosted since the vast majority of kids in Houston still haven’t gotten a single dose of the COVID vaccine.