State pediatric COVID-19 cases increase 400%

The recent surge of COVID-19 cases has left a blanket of critical red counties across the state and led to a record number of pediatric COVID-19 hospital admissions.

“COVID-19 isn’t just hitting adults with the Delta variant, your kids are at a greater risk than they have been before,” Gov. Andy Beshear said on Tuesday during a press briefing.

COVID-19 cases in Kentucky children have increased more than 400% in the past month, from 133 on July 16 to 548 on Aug. 16, according to the governor. The total number of pediatric admissions for COVID-19 was at 17 which was the state’s highest-ever total.

The number of children hospitalized with COVID-19 in the U.S. hit a record high on Saturday, with more than 1,900 kids in hospitals, according to the governor’s office. Alabama has reported it only has two ICU beds still available and Mississippi public health officials confirmed another child has died from COVID-19 complications, the state’s fifth pediatric death since March 2020.

Ohio County Healthcare Community Relations Coordinator CeCe Robinson said OCH continues to see an increase of cases in the younger 20-30 demographic and rising rates in children.

The surge in cases is also putting a strain on healthcare across the commonwealth and the county.

“We are very close to all of our hospital beds being full. It is something that we very well may see in the commonwealth,” Beshear said.

The governor said at the end of the week Kentucky could see more people in the hospital for COVID-19 than at any point since the beginning of the pandemic.

Kentucky’s case numbers and positivity rate have continued to rise rapidly after record lows for the last year were recorded for both metrics in June. The state is currently reporting a positivity rate over 12% as of Monday afternoon with a statewide overall incidence rate of 57.17. Ohio County’s incidence rate is 82.2.

All but seven of Kentucky’s 120 counties were in the critical red zone for incidence rate as of Monday afternoon.

During the week ending Aug. 15, the state’s average COVID-19 positivity rate was 12.19%, up from 10.57% the week ending Aug. 8, and up from 1.84% the week ending June 27.

In the past week, the Green River District Health Department, of which Ohio County is a part, reported 1,163 new cases of COVID-19 with 113 of those being Ohio Countians. As of Tuesday morning, there were 47 people from the district who were hospitalized, which included nine Ohio Countians.

“We are actively treating COVID-19 in our patient unit and seeing a significant volume of cases in our ER and Quick Care,” Robinson said.

The hospital is averaging about 100 tests per day with an approximate 10% positivity rate from those tests.

State and local health officials continue to encourage Kentuckians to get their vaccines as a way to help combat the virus.

From March 1 to Aug. 16, 86.88% of COVID-19 cases and 90.5% of COVID-19 hospitalizations have been among only partially vaccinated or unvaccinated Kentuckians, according to the governor’s office.

“OCH feels strongly one of the best measures to stop COVID-19 is by vaccinating,” Robinson said.

OCH offers vaccines seven days a week on a walk-in basis she said. Vaccines are also available at many pharmacies throughout the area. All vaccines are free of charge.

Over 2.4 million Kentuckians have received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine as of Tuesday. As of Aug. 15, there were only 17 Kentucky counties where at least 50% of residents have received one dose of a vaccine.