Banner hospitals seeing more kids admitted with COVID-19, but not in ICU

PHOENIX — Arizona’s largest hospital system announced Tuesday there were 71 children admitted to its hospitals with COVID-19 in July, more than double the amount of June, but ICU admissions and ventilator usage are low.

Dr. Marjorie Bessel, chief clinical officer with Banner Health, said in a press conference that children make up 5% of the hospital’s total COVID admissions and that there are 50 children in the hospital that may have COVID-19 or are undergoing testing for the virus.

She said most only require progressive care rather than intensive care, but stressed this doesn’t mean the virus doesn’t have a serious impact on children.

“We are seeing it already in other states like Louisiana, Florida and Texas where pediatric volumes have sharply risen due to COVID and an unseasonable spike in respiratory illnesses among children,” Bessel said.

“Unlike what Banner has experienced thus far this summer, hospitals in other major metropolitan cities across the country have seen COVID pediatric ICU admissions and ventilator usage increase dramatically this past month.”

She said parents can take several steps to ensure children stay safe in school, including getting not only themselves vaccinated but children if eligible as well.

“First, get vaccinated, and vaccinate your children if they are 12 years of age or older,” Bessel said. “The more of us who get vaccinated, the more we protect those who are too young to get vaccinated.”

Bessel also advised having children wear masks in schools and not sending kids to school if they are sick.

COVID-19 cases in the state are once again on the rise as the highly transmissible delta variant of the virus takes hold in the state.

Daily reported cases of the virus have been in the thousands after not seeing numbers that high since March, with another 2,582 cases being reported on Tuesday, marking the seventh straight day with more than 2,000 cases.

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