There were 178,935 new cases of Covid-19 reported among children in the week ending Dec. 24, the American Academy of Pediatrics said Tuesday.
According to the AAP, this number of cases brings the cumulative total to 2,000 681 positive Covid-19 cases among children since the onset of the pandemic. As of December 24, children represent 12.4% of all cases of Covid-19 in the US.
The AAP also noted that since November 12, there has been an increase of 1 million Covid-19 cases in children, and that during the past two weeks from December 10 – December 24, there has been a 22% increase in child cases.
It puts the total rate at “2,658 cases per 100,000 children in the population,” the AAP said.
“At present, serious diseases due to Covid-19 appear to be rare in children. However, there is an urgent need to gather more information on the long-term impact of the pandemic on children, including ways in which the virus can “long-term physical health of infected children, as well as its consequences for emotional and mental health,” reads the AAP’s data report.