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Agencies:

Nearly 5,50,000 children in US test positive for COVID-19

September 16, 2020

Nearly 5,50,000 children in the United States have been diagnosed with COVID-19 since the onset of the pandemic, according to a new report of the American Academy of Pediatrics and the Children's Hospital Association.

A total of 72,993 new child cases were reported from August 27 to September 10, which is a 15 % increase in child cases over two weeks, according to the reports.

Altogether 5,49,432 total child COVID-19 cases have been reported in the United States so far and children represented 10 % of all cases said the report. The overall rate is 729 cases per 1,00,000 children in the population.

Children were 0.6 % to 3.6 % of total reported hospitalizations and 0 to 0.3 % of all COVID-19 deaths said the report.

"At this time, it appears that severe illness due to COVID-19 is rare among children. However, states should continue to provide detailed reports on COVID-19 cases, testing, hospitalizations and mortality by age and race/ethnicity so that the effects of COVID-19 on children's health can be documented and monitored," said the report.