Number Of NJ Kids With COVID In ICU Rose In Early 2021: Officials

NEW JERSEY — State Health officials say they treated a rising number of children who were hospitalized with COVID-19 earlier this year and required intensive care.

The Centers For Disease Control and Prevention released an updated morbidity report on Friday showing the rate of hospitalizations increased nationally in adolescents from January through March.

The state Department of Health found New Jersey’s data among adolescents aligned with national trends, Health Commissioner Judith Persichilli said during Gov. Phil Murphy's Monday news conference.

“Since the beginning of the pandemic among children ages 5-18, 856 have been hospitalized and similar to the national data, we have also seen an increase in the rate of hospitalized children requiring intensive care,” Persichilli said.

State officials did not identify the size of the increase or how many children are being treated right now.

Out of the less than 1 percent of 15-18-year-olds who have been hospitalized in New Jersey since the beginning of 2021, 9 percent of those hospitalized required intensive care.

Persichilli noted that 30 percent of the children surveyed in the CDC’s data did not report having underlying conditions, demonstrating that healthy adolescents could be at risk for COVID-19. The most common underlying conditions detailed in the report were obesity, asthma and neurological disorders.

“It’s important to note that when the CDC examined cumulative hospitalization rates for this age group, they were three times higher than the three most recent influenza seasons,” Persichilli said.

She added that hospitalizations were up even with prevention measures in place that were not employed during previous influenza seasons, such as wearing masks, physical distancing and school closures.

“Without these measures, the rates of COVID-19 associated hospitalizations might have been substantially higher,” Persichilli said.

Persichilli and Gov. Phil Murphy continue to encourage New Jerseyans to get vaccinated against COVID-19.

As of Monday, three percent of adolescents ages 12-17 have been vaccinated in New Jersey, according to state data.

“Masking and social distancing are still key ways to prevent spreading of COVID-19, but we know the vaccination is vital to fighting this virus and saving lives,” Persichilli said.

Keep up to date with what's happening in your community by subscribing to your local Patch newsletter here.