Over 61,000 Children in US Tested Positive for COVID-19 Last Week
A teacher puts on a child's mask upon his arrival at Stark Elementary School on September 16, 2020 in Stamford, Connecticut. Most students at Stamford Public Schools are taking part in a hybrid education model, where they attend in-school classes every other day and distance learn the rest. About 20 percent of students in the school district, however, are enrolled in the distance learning option due to coronavirus concerns. John Moore/Getty Images

Over 61,000 children in the United States contracted COVID-19 last week based on the American Academy of Pediatrics and Children's Hospital Association's report.

The recorded cases were higher than in any other week during the pandemic, according to NBC News.

Overall, it totaled to 853,635 children infected with the coronavirus this year, representing 11.1 percent of all COVID-19 cases in the United States.

The percentage of pediatric cases has continuously grown since mid-April. It was a period where children accounted for just two percent of COVID-19 cases in the country.

Dr. Sally Goza, president of the American Academy of Pediatrics, said that this is a reminder that the pandemic affects everyone, including children and adolescents.

The organization updates the tally of children affected by COVID-19 using state health department data. However, the organization believes that the true count of children affected by the disease might be higher.

With the illness being mild in kids, they might not always be tested. For mortality, 121 children had died due to the disease as of Thursday.

However, the tally did not count in the 13-year-old boy who died over the weekend less than two weeks after he attended class.

The boy's school district released a statement suggesting wearing masks, frequently wash hands, and follow social distancing practices.

"Covid-19 is real and they want to remind students and parents to take these precautions in and outside of school," the school's statement read.

The increase of the COVID-19 cases in children occurs mostly in the Western part of the states. These are in Alaska, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, New Mexico, and Utah.

These also include the state of Dakotas, Kentucky, Michigan, and Wisconsin. A pediatric expert from Wisconsin, Dr. Greg Demuri, said the cases are getting worse, adding that there seems to be no end in sight.

Chair of the AAP Committee on Infectious Diseases, Dr. Yvonne Maldonado, confirmed in a statement that the country is entering a new wave of infections.

Maldonado urged the public to avoid family holiday gatherings as much as possible, particularly households who have high-risk individuals.

COVID-19 Symptoms in Children

The usual symptoms for this infectious disease include fever, dry cough, difficulty breathing, and headaches, among others. However, early research shows that children may not get fever, cough, or shortness of breath as often as adults.

Fever and cough are shown as symptoms in children by 56 percent and 54 percent, respectively. This is compared to 71 percent and 80 percent of adults, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

According to a CNN report, only 13 percent of pediatric patients develop shortness of breath compared to 43 percent in adults.

Other symptoms such as sore throat, headache, muscle pain, fatigue, and diarrhea were less common in children. However, the long-term effects of COVID-19 on children are still not known.

CDC found that those aged 12 and 17 were about twice as likely to test positive for COVID-19 than kids aged five and 11.