PAGE A4, KEIZERTIMES, SEPTEMBER 3, 2021
What an Oregon pediatric doctor wants parents
to know about COVID-19 as schools reopen
BY RACHEL ALEXANDER
For the Keizertimes
There’s still much pediatricians and
infectious disease experts don’t know
about how the more contagious Delta vari-
ant of COVID spreads among children, Dr.
Dawn Nolt said.
But Nolt, a professor of pediatrics and
infectious diseases at Oregon Health
and Science University’s Doernbecher
Children’s Hospital, said pediatricians
remain in agreement that in-person school
can operate safely this fall, provided miti-
gation measures are in place.
“Overall, we feel that the priority should
be in-person education,” Nolt said. “Once
you have that, then the next priority is how
to keep them safe.”
The issue has renewed signifi cance
as school is less than a week away from
starting in Salem-Keizer, and in many of
Oregon’s largest districts. While kids 12
and older have the option to be vaccinated
against COVID, their younger classmates
don’t.
Nolt said that means it’s up to the adults
around young children to ensure they’re
protected and avoid outbreaks that can
lead to quarantines, school closures and
sick kids — problems that have plagued
some districts in other parts of the country
that opened schools earlier.
Nolt said she understands why parents
are worried when they see headlines about infected,” she said.
young children with serious cases of
Since the pandemic began, 15,099
COVID or pediatric hospital beds fi ll- Oregonians age nine and younger have
ing up in other parts of the country. But been diagnosed with COVID. Of those, 164
she said it’s also important
to remember young chil-
dren remain very unlikely
The virus particle itself
to develop serious illness
is super small, but it's
from COVID that requires
hospitalization.
carried by this lovely, juicy
“The studies early in
liquid. And that is bigger
the pandemic showed that
they’re less likely to be
than the mask openings.
infected, they’re less likely
That's what we're trying to
to have severe disease” com-
capture, not the virus.
pared to adolescents and
adults, Nolt said. That’s held
true for the Delta variant
as well, she said.
She said reports from
— DAWN NOLT OHSU Professor
southeastern
states
where kids with COVID
are fi lling up pediatric
hospitals refl ect surging
COVID infections across all age groups, have been hospitalized, about 1%, and one
not just kids.
has died.
“It's not that the Delta variant is making
The number of Oregon kids testing
those kids more sick. It's just we're seeing positive for COVID has climbed signifi -
such large numbers of kids be infected, cantly over the past month as the number
that even a small percentage that end up of cases across all age groups has risen,
needing ICU care, hospital care is a large according to Oregon Health Authority
number. Here in Oregon, we're not see- data.
ing that level of numbers of kids being
The rate of new infections is highest
among 12 to 17-year-olds, who are eligible
to be vaccinated. Household transmission
is the most common infection source for
kids who do get sick, rather than an out-
break outside the home or an unknown
source.
About three in fi ve kids who test pos-
itive for COVID report any symptoms of
illness, the most common being a cough.
Pacifi c Islander, Latino, Native
American and Black children are also con-
tracting COVID at higher rates than white,
Asian and multiracial children, state data
shows.
State data also shows hospitalization
rates for children remain low, and pediat-
ric hospital beds are in much better supply
than beds for adults. The week of Aug. 8,
OHA reported fi ve kids age fi ve and under
hospitalized with COVID statewide, as
well as one kid between the ages of six and
11, and one between the ages of 12 and 17.
As of Aug. 25, about one in fi ve inten-
sive care unit beds for babies and children
in Oregon was empty — a far higher share
than for adults, where fewer than 8% of
beds were vacant.
Nolt said masking and vaccinating
adults who will be around unvaccinated
children remain key strategies for prevent-
ing the spread of COVID in schools.
Oregon Gov. Kate Brown is requir-
ing students, employees and visitors in