As schools resume, the CDC reported a new spike in teen visits to the coronavirus emergency room

New data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows that reports of COVID-19 in teen emergency room visits nearly doubled over the past week, to levels not seen in a year.

These numbers were measured as a proportion of all emergency room visits in children ages 12 to 15. published The CDC showed late Thursday that the weekly averages for COVID-19 accelerated to 2.43% through Aug. 21.

Rates of COVID-19 visits to the emergency room for these teens increased from 1.33% in the previous week and are now higher than levels seen among most other age groups except for the youngest and oldest Americans.

By contrast, during this past winter’s wave, rates of emergency room visits for 12- to 15-year-olds were among the lowest of all ages. Emergency visits in this age group have not been higher compared to others since around this time last year, amid a wave of infections that overwhelmed some hospitals.

The increase comes as well Schools and companies They are now considering returning to the use of masks and other precautions to limit the virus, amid a weeks-long spike in new COVID-19 hospitalizations across the country. expected to continue. Officials are now also tracking a new highly mutated variant of COVID-19 called BA.2.86 Which experts believe could lead to further spread.

There are now nearly 10 million Americans in communities with “moderate” levels of COVID-19, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. He says Court orders considering a return to mask-wearing and some other precautions for vulnerable Americans.

While not all emergency room visits turn into hospitalizations for the coronavirus, officials say they have tracked this metric closely as an early indicator of the spread of the virus, especially after official case numbers became unreliable to measure infection.

COVID-19 emergency visits look worse in the Southeast, where the virus now makes up 4.46% of teen visits – higher than rates for any other age group in the region.

This region – spanning Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee – also experienced mentioned Earlier and sharper rises in hospital admissions due to COVID-19 during the current wave, compared to many other parts of the country.

Dr Katherine Taylor, of Mississippi, said: “The increase in cases is likely due to a variety of factors such as schools and colleges starting, rising temperatures pushing people indoors for activities where they may be in close proximity to each other, and the spread of new variants.” . The state’s interim epidemiologist told CBS News in a statement.

In the Southeast, the rate of teen emergency room visits for COVID-19 in Mississippi now averages among the highest of any state. Taylor said an increase in COVID-19 cases means an increased risk of exposure to the virus.

“Mississippi residents should remain aware that COVID-19 is a concern, stay home when sick, seek care or testing when needed, and if they don’t already know about the vaccination, get vaccinated,” Taylor said.