Quebec sees huge increase in COVID-19 hospitalizations among children during Omicron wave – Montreal

About two thirds COVID-19 New data shows that the number of children under the age of 10 being hospitalized in Quebec has been going on since December 5, but the total number of children hospitalized for respiratory infections is lower than usual.

There have been 784 COVID-19-related hospitalizations of children under the age of 10 since the start of the pandemic – two percent of all COVID-19 patients in the province, the government-run research center Institut national de santé publique du Quebec points out. Since the beginning of December, there have been 518 hospitalizations involving children under the age of 10, accounting for about 4.3% of all hospital admissions.

Jesse Papenburg, a pediatric infectious disease specialist at Children’s Hospital Montreal, said Friday in an interview: “The younger group is definitely at a much higher level than previously seen during the pandemic.

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He said the sharp increase in young patients could be attributed to the explosion of cases linked to the COVID-19 variant Omicron.

“It’s a number game,” Papenburg said. “There’s so much infection going on in the community, that the tip of the iceberg of severe illness has emerged and we’re seeing more hospitalizations.”

However, the Omicron is less likely to cause severe illness in children than the Delta variant.

Papenburg says children under 5 have the highest hospitalization rates of any pediatric age group.

A report released Thursday by Quebec’s immunization commission said two percent of COVID-19 cases in children under the age of 5 in the fifth wave resulted in hospitalization. This compares with 0.3% of infections that result in children aged 5 and over going to the hospital. Children under the age of five are not eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine.

Hospitals say the deaths of at least two children under the age of 5 in Quebec are linked to COVID-19.

But despite the increase in child hospital admissions related to COVID-19, the number of children hospitalized for respiratory infections “remains lower than what we are likely to see this time of year, typically.” The pattern is for other respiratory viruses, such as respiratory syncytial virus or influenza,” Papenburg said.

He said he thinks about half of COVID-19 hospitalizations in children are directly related to the disease, with the other half related to children who are hospitalized for other reasons later on. positive. However, he said the distinction is not always clear, as COVID-19 can worsen other conditions.

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