Cook Children’s has seen COVID-19 spike. Here’s what parents can do to keep kids safe
Cook Children’s Medical Center is seeing a spike in COVID-19 cases among its patients, with 13 in the hospital on Tuesday, according to hospital officials.
“We could see another surge next month,” said Dr. Marc Mazade, the hospital’s medical director of infection control and prevention, in a Tuesday news conference.
The hospital is also dealing with a spike in RSV infections among infants and toddlers. Last week, 195 children tested positive, compared to 94 during a week in late June, officials said.
“Morale is down a little bit due to the number of admissions,” Mazade said. “We are resilient.”
Four of the 13 patients in the hospital with COVID-19 are in the intensive care unit, according to a news release. The hospital did not say if the children had any underlying health conditions.
Some of the kids were receiving supportive breathing treatments, Mazade said.
Tarrant County Public Health did not immediately reply to a request for comment.
As the new school year nears, Mazade said the hospital supports students wearing masks at school and on buses.
When asked how to convince students to wear masks when their friends are not, Mazade said it all starts at home.
“If the adults are wearing them, then students will,” Mazade said.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Tuesday that fully vaccinated people should wear a mask indoors in areas of substantial or high transmission. Tarrant County’s spread level is high.
The hospital issued a 10-point guide for safely reopening schools. Among the tips:
- Make sure children are up-to-date on all vaccinations needed for school entry.
- Consider whether you want to require your child to wear a mask, even if there is no mandate.
- Encourage COVID-19 vaccination to all eligible children and adults.
- Reinforce good hygiene practices.
- If your children become infected with COVID-19, quarantine them until they are no longer contagious.
- Encourage precautions for children riding on buses, like wearing a mask or asking bus drivers to keep windows open to allow better airflow.
- Do not send your child to school, daycare or any other activity if they are ill.
This story was originally published July 27, 2021 at 12:54 PM with the headline "Cook Children’s has seen COVID-19 spike. Here’s what parents can do to keep kids safe."