Duval County

Baptist Health Jax reports more kids hospitalized with COVID-19 at Wolfson Children’s Hospital

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — More kids are coming down with COVID-19 as the delta variant spreads through Florida.

As of Monday, 21 kids are hospitalized with COVID-19 at Wolfson Children’s Hospital. Six of them are in the ICU.

These numbers are causing concern for parents as Duval County Schools start on Tuesday.

“As a percentage increase, it’s very significant. It’s a 300 or 400% increase in the number of kids that are sick enough to be hospitalized,” Wolfson Children’s Hospital Chief Medical Officer Dr. Jerry Bridgham said.

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Updated daily COVID-19 numbers from Baptist Health Jacksonville show more kids are catching COVID-19 and it’s serious.

“Some of these kids have been sick enough where they’ve had to be intubated. We put them on breathing machines,” Dr. Bidgham said.

This is happening as Duval County students return to school. Some parents said they’re stressed out and nervous.

“Seeing those rising case counts over at Wolfson. My heart goes out to every one of those kids and their families. That could be my family at any point,” Dr. Jennifer Cowart said.

A mom and a doctor, Cowart is ready for a vaccine for younger kids.

“I’m 100% getting my kids vaccinated as soon as that vaccine is available in their age range,” Dr. Cowart said.

According to doctors, the majority of kids in the ICU with COVID-19 are between the ages of 12 and 18.

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“The significance of that is that those kids would have all been eligible to receive a vaccine,” Dr. Bridgham said.

Doctors want to remind families that vaccines are readily available and have proved effective.