COLUMBIA, S.C. — South Carolina ranks second in the nation in child COVID cases per capita, according to data from a new report.
The American Academy of Pediatrics and the Children's Hospital Association released a summary report of data collected from 49 states, New York City, Washington DC, Puerto Rico and Guam on children and COVID-19.
Data collected came from reported cases to state and local health departments that reported age ranges for distribution. Some states reported age ranges from 0-14, 0-17, 0-18, and -- as in South Carolina -- 0-20 years.
How South Carolina fared in the results:
- South Carolina -- with 191,920 cumulative child cases -- was one of 12 states reporting more than 150,000 cumulative child cases of COVID-19.
- While the national overall percent of cumulative cases of COVID-19 was 16.0%, South Carolina ranked third highest -- behind Vermont and Alaska -- with 23% of cumulative cases coming from children age 0-20 years.
- South Carolina ranked second highest overall of states reporting the rate of child cases of COVID-19 per 100,000 children in the population. The national overall rate was 7,607 cases per 100,000 children. South Carolina -- with a child population reported to be 1,314,988 -- had a rate of 14,594.8 child age cases of COVID-19 per 100,000 children. Only Tennessee had a higher rate at 15,225.7 cases per 100,000.
- Of the states tracking child hospitalizations due to COVID-19, of the cumulative total of all hospitalizations in South Carolina due to the virus (28,358), 596 cases, or 2.1%, were children being hospitalized.
- Of reported COVID-19-related deaths, South Carolina has reported 20 child deaths attributed to the virus. That number represents 0.01% of child cases resulting in death in South Carolina.
Overall, the Southern Region of the United States seems to have experienced a recent spike in the number of child COVID-10 cases in the week ending Sept. 9. 2021.
Data from the AAP/CHA report was collected from June 2021 through September 23, 2021. The data does not reflect the number of children infected but not tested and confirmed.
