SAN ANTONIO — Pediatric COVID-19 hospitalizations are rapidly approaching pandemic-highs in southwestern Texas, as the omicron variant drives more children to San Antonio-area hospitals.
Children still represent a tiny portion of hospitalized COVID-19 patients. Youngsters are generally expected to fight off the worst of the disease's symptoms, though some cases can be severe.
Despite the spike in numbers, local doctors say they're so far encouraged by their patients' ability to fight off the omicron variant.
"Right now, we have ten kids in the hospital at Methodist for COVID-19," said Dr. Kelly Smith, a pediatric pulmonologist at Methodist Children's hospital in San Antonio. "None are on the ventilator and none on ECMO, which is a huge distinction from what we had previously."
Smith says, lately, he's prescribed fluids, Tylenol, Motrin, and chicken-noodle soup to his patients. He's admitted more young patients with RSV than with COVID-19.
"This is becoming more of a flu-like illness, which is much more on par with the other viruses we deal with every month and winter," he added. "I think the end of this pandemic is in sight."
Today, at least 19 children with COVID-19 require hospitalization in Texas's southwestern medical region. This Region P stretches west from San Antonio to Del Rio, and south toward Cotulla.
Statewide, 279 children are fighting COVID-19 in the hospital.
At least 24 children required a hospital for COVID-19 treatment in Region P on New Year's Eve, more than any day since Sept. 9.
Region P has only surpassed the Dec. 31 number eight times since the pandemic began. It set its record for pediatric hospitalizations on Sept. 1, when 30 children required COVID-19 treatment.
"The level of acuity we're seeing in pediatric patients... has been fairly inconsequential," said Dr. Norm Christopher, the chief medical officer at Christus Health's Children's Hospital of San Antonio. "We're all breathing a little easier with regards to that for a couple of reasons."
Christopher noted the majority of hospitalized children have some underlying health condition the virus has exacerbated.
Omicron is more contagious than other strains of the Coronavirus. In San Antonio, roughly 27 percent of people who take a COVID-19 test are positive.
Smith contends children are uniquely apt to spread the virus because they're most likely to be unvaccinated.
The surge in pediatric hospitalizations comes just days after the CDC released data indicating more than 99 percent of children, ages 5-17, hospitalized during July and August were unvaccinated.
The Centers for Disease Control also found that parents "rarely" reported severe adverse side effects after their children, ages 5-11, took the vaccine.
The Food and Drug Administration moved Monday to expand booster shot eligibility to children as young as 12.