Delta Variant Rising: COVID-19 and Pediatrics

COVID-19 is once again dominating concerns for pediatric providers as we prepare for kids going back to school across the U.S.

Between the rise of the delta variant, national nursing shortages, mask mandates and the eager anticipation of emergency use authorization extension for the COVID vaccine in kids ages 5 to 11, we healthcare providers find ourselves in a sobering reality.

Listen to pediatric experts discuss the latest impacts of COVID-19 on pediatrics

In this episode, Jessica Cataldi, MD, and Sam Dominguez, MD, PhD, join us for an overview of the latest impacts of the pandemic on pediatrics.

Dr. Cataldi is a pediatric infectious disease physician at Children’s Hospital Colorado and Assistant Professor of Pediatrics and Infectious Diseases at the University of Colorado School of Medicine.

Dr. Dominguez is a pediatric infectious disease physician at Children’s Colorado and Associate Professor of Pediatrics and Infectious Diseases at the University of Colorado School of Medicine.

In this episode, our experts discuss:

• Update on COVID-19 trends worldwide and in the U.S.
• Current spike of RSV cases
• Role of masking in protecting kids during in-person learning
• Predictions for RSV and flu patterns in the coming months
• Approaches for testing and treating children for SARS-CoV-2
• Expected extension of emergency use authorization for the COVID-19 vaccine in kids ages 5 to 11
• How pediatricians can advocate for safe return-to-school practices
• Classification of emerging variants
• Delta variant transmissibility, severity and vaccine efficacy
• Maintaining resilience as healthcare providers during the pandemic

Resources for providers:

• Journal of Pediatrics: Low In-School COVID-19 Transmission and Asymptomatic Infection Despite High Community Prevalence
• Note that the most frequently cited article about masks and children being harmful has been retracted due to concerns of fraud and misrepresentation of methods and findings.

Treatment of infectious diseases at Children’s Colorado

Our pediatric experts in the Infectious Disease Program at Children's Colorado provide a breadth of expertise ranging from laboratory-based research to the treatment and prevention of infectious diseases. Pediatricians can treat many infectious diseases, but when unique or different symptoms are present, it’s important to refer to a pediatric specialist. We are prepared and ready to treat patients with suspected or confirmed 2019 novel coronavirus. Our clinical staff has been specially trained on how to identify, isolate and treat patients with this and other contagious illnesses.