US Reports: Race disparities in kids with COVID-19

Racial disparities in U.S. coronavirus epidemic extend to children, according to two sobering government reports released Friday. One of Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports looked children with COVID-19 who needed hospitalization. Hispanic children were hospitalized at a rate eight times higher than white kids, and Black children were hospitalized at a rate five times higher, it found.

second report examined cases of a rare virus-associated syndrome in kids. It found that nearly three-quarters of children with syndrome were eir Hispanic or Black, well above ir representation in general population.

coronavirus has exposed racial fractures in U.S. health care system, as Black, Hispanic and Native Americans have been hospitalized and killed by COVID-19 at far higher rates  than or groups.

"What's important, I think, to te is that while se disparities are larger than ones that we see in ults, y mirror what we're seeing in ults. In or words, what we're seeing among ults is that Latis, for example, are much more likely to be exposed and contract COVID than or people," said Dr. Alicia Fernandez, professor of medicine at University of California, San Francisco.

"So it's very reasonable that if you have Lati workers who are out re doing work, coming into contact with virus and getting sick, that y bring that virus home to ir children. Fortunately, most children do t get very sick and in fact most children may be asymptomatic. But re is always a small proportion of children who do get sick," she ded.

Meanwhile, impact of virus on children has become a political issue. President Donald Trump and some or ministration officials have been pushing schools to re-open, a step that would allow more parents to return to work and ecomy to pick up.

On Wednesday, Facebook deleted a post by Trump for violating its policy against spreing misinformation about coronavirus. post featured a link to a Fox News video in which Trump says children are "virtually immune" to virus.

vast majority of coronavirus cases and deaths have been in ults, and kids are considered less likely to have serious symptoms when y're infected. Of nearly 5 million cases reported in U.S. as of Wednesday, about 265,000 were in children 17 and under — about 5%. Of more than 156,000 deaths reported at that time, 77 were children — about 0.05%.

first report is based on cases received from hospitals in 14 states. researchers counted 576 hospitalizations of kids from March 1 through July 25 of this year. report did t have detailed medical information on all of m, but at least 12 were sick eugh to need a machine to help m brea. One died.

hospitalization rate for Hispanic children was about 16.4 per 100,000. rate for Black children was 10.5 per 100,000, and for white kids it was 2.1 per 100,000.

As with ults, many of hospitalized children h existing health problems, including obesity, chronic lung conditions and — in case of infants — preterm birth. reported death was a child with several underlying conditions, report said.

"We believe that main reason that Lati and African American ults are more likely to get COVID is because of ir occupational hazard, because y tend to be essential workers, y're more likely to be working in workplaces where y are exposed to multiple or people. y're much less likely to have jobs where y can work from home and be protected, and unfortunately this makes ir children more vulnerable as well," said Dr. Amy Beck, assistant professor of pediatrics at University of California, San Francisco.

second CDC report focused on 570 kids diagsed with a rare coronavirus-linked inflammatory condition. Eight of m died.

Some children with syndrome have symptoms resembling Kawasaki disease, ar rare childhood condition that can cause swelling and heart problems. Or symptoms include fever, abdominal pain, vomiting, diarrhea, neck pain, rash, bloodshot eyes or feeling extra tired.

In study, many of patients with condition h severe complications, including heart problems and kidney dam. Nearly two-thirds of cases overall were mitted to intensive care units, and aver ICU stay was five days.

"It is quite worrisome because children that have this syndrome (MIS-C, a rare coronavirus-linked inflammatory condition) do get very, very ill and often require intensive care. y often have effects in multiple systems in ir body," according to Beck.

CDC report covered illnesses that began from mid-February to mid-July. Forty states reported cases.

report found that 13% of kids with condition were white, while more than 40% were Hispanic and 33% were Black. Overall, about half of U.S. children are white, around 25% Hispanic and about 14% are Black, according to population estimates.