More than 61,000 children in the U.S. were diagnosed with COVID-19 last week — more than in any other week during the pandemic, the American Academy of Pediatrics and the Children's Hospital Association reported Monday.
In all, 853,635 children have been diagnosed with the virus this year, representing 11.1% of all U.S. cases, NBC News reports. The percentage of pediatric cases has risen steadily since mid-April, when children accounted for just 2% of COVID-19 cases in the country.
"This is a stark reminder of the impact this pandemic is having on everyone — including our children and adolescents," Dr. Sally Goza, president of the American Academy of Pediatrics, said in a news release. The organization updates the number of children with COVID-19 weekly, using state health department data.
The organization said it believes the true number of children with COVID-19 is higher because the illness tends to be mild in kids and because they may not always be tested.
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