New York sees a rise in child hospitalisations as Omicron cases increase

US has been reporting over 190,000 new cases of COVID-19 since the last seven days

ITDC INDIA EPRESS/ITDC NEWS R New York health officials have reported an increase in hospitalisation of children as Omicron cases increase in the US. The New York State Department of Health, on Friday, had warned "of an upward trend in pediatric hospitalizations associated with COVID-19." admissions for children under 18 increased 4-fold since December 5. About 50 per cent of the admissions are below age 5, an age group that is ineligible to get vaccinated.

 According to numbers from the John Hopkins University, the US has been reporting over 190,000 new cases of COVID-19 since the last seven days. The White House, in the meantime, has promised to resolve the COVID-19 test shortage. An increase in the number of cases coupled with the holiday season, when people usually travel to visit family, has resulted in a spike in demand for tests.

"One of the problems is that that's (COVID-19 test) not going to be totally available to everyone until we get to January and there are still some issues now of people having trouble getting tested," US top pandemic advisor Anthony Fauci told ABC News. Fauci re-emphasized the fact that the Omicron variant is “extraordinarily contagious."