Pediatric COVID-19 cases rise amid spread of omicron variant

Published 11:00 am Tuesday, January 18, 2022

SALEM — The omicron variant is creating a sharp rise in pediatric COVID-19 cases.

The Oregon Health Authority’s daily COVID-19 report on Friday, Jan. 14, indicated that the agency is concerned over the recent rapid increase of COVID-19 cases among children ages 0 to 17.

Pediatric COVID-19 cases saw a sustained increase in August and September of 2021, as about 20% of the state’s total COVID-19 cases were reported among individuals younger than 18. In the late fall and early winter there was a significant decrease in juvenile cases, and the percentage dipped to roughly 12% in mid-December. However, since then, there has been an increase from 12.7% on Dec. 19 to 20.6% in early January.

Since the start of the pandemic, OHA has reported 72,180 confirmed cases and 5,896 presumptive cases among people younger than 18.

Throughout all of 2020 the highest weekly total for pediatric cases was 1,100, while at the peak in 2021 in the fall the state was averaging roughly 2,500 pediatric cases per week. At the end of the week of Dec. 26, the case count skyrocketed to 4,851. That record-high number nearly doubled in the following week, reaching 8,885 cases in the first week of January. Throughout the recent increase, OHA reported that the positivity rate was highest among children ages 12 to 17.

Since the COVID-19 vaccine became available to ages 12 to 15 in May 2021 and to ages 5 to 11 the following October, Oregon has seen a steady increase in juvenile vaccinations. As of Jan. 13, 67% of children ages 12 to 17 had received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, and 33.4% of Oregon’s children from age 5 to 11 had been vaccinated with at least one dose. That total comes out to 312,323 individuals ages 5 to 17 who have received at least one dose.

Union County’s total pediatric case rate is currently ranked in the middle of all counties in Oregon. Union County’s rate of 10,321 cases per 100,000 is the 16th highest out of the 36 counties in the state, while Wallowa County’s rate of 9,657 is the 21st highest.

Union and Wallowa counties have not been immune from the recent surge in pediatric cases. Union County’s case total for children increased from single digits in late November and early December to 15 per week on Dec. 26 and 296 after Jan. 2. In Wallowa County, five pediatric cases were reported on Dec. 26 and seven on Jan. 2

Union County schools have felt the steady impact of absences among students and staff, with most schools seeing about five students out at a time in the latest update from Jan. 14. The Elgin School District recently experienced a surge, with 30 students absent at both Elgin High School and Stella Mayfield Elementary School. Students are encouraged to stay home if they are experiencing common COVID-19 symptoms.

In addition to pediatric cases, the absence of teachers due to COVID-19 can become a major obstacle due to a lack of substitute teachers across the county.