Life Kit A pediatrician's advice on omicron, daycare and travel for kids under 5
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Jan 8, 2022 Parents of young children are feeling the heat with the Omicron variant, and an infectious disease expert provides much-needed reassurance. The podcast dives into how the variant impacts kids, highlighting rising hospitalizations and varying symptoms across ages. Listeners learn about vaccine trials for those under five and the importance of maternal vaccination for newborn immunity. Plus, tips on safe family travel during high infection periods ensure parents are equipped with planning strategies to keep their little ones protected.
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Rising Child Hospitalizations
- COVID-19 hospitalizations of children are increasing, exceeding previous waves and even influenza.
- Unvaccinated children are disproportionately represented, but even vaccinated ones can be hospitalized.
Omicron Severity in Children
- Omicron is milder than Delta for both children and adults, but still causes severe symptoms in some kids.
- Increased Omicron cases lead to more hospitalizations, even with milder individual cases.
COVID-19 vs. Flu in Children
- COVID-19 is worse than influenza in children due to initial infection and post-COVID syndromes.
- Currently, COVID-19 is spreading faster than influenza.