As COVID-19 cases rise throughout Hawaii for the eighth consecutive week, Hilo Medical Center reported a significant increase in pediatric cases.
In May, more than 20 children between the ages of 0-5 have been admitted to the HMC Emergency Room for COVID-related illnesses, the highest of any age group.
“They don’t have to be hospitalized, but we’re seeing more kids in our ER,” said HMC spokeswoman Elena Cabatu. “That’s usually not the case.”
Symptoms remain minor, consisting of “barky” coughs and shortness of breath.
“It speaks to the quantity of children coming in that we’re able to make these observations,” said Cabatu, adding “COVID doesn’t discriminate.”
Cabatu said the increase is “representative of this surge,” where statewide, there are 126 current hospitalizations related to COVID-19, a peak similar to February when the first omicron variant was the dominant strain.
HMC reports six current COVID hospitalizations, with two individuals in the ICU and one on a ventilator. This roughly doubles previous weeks, where an average of three hospitalizations was consistent at HMC.
“This week and last week, we saw a bump. At times, we reached eight or nine hospitalizations, but they don’t stay very long,” Cabatu said. “The numbers are a little bit more severe than the previous surge, but not as severe as delta.”
Of the six current hospitalizations, Cabatu said half of patients were vaccinated, half were not, adding most cases at HMC were due to the omicron BA.2 subvariant, now the dominant strain throughout the state.
“It’s showing us the second iteration of omicron is a little more severe than the first,” she said. “People need to consider their risks when they go out, given that we’re in a surge.”
While HMC did not have up-to-date information related to re-infections, Cabatu said she has been hearing from individuals that have contracted COVID for the second time.
“I do hear in the community, ‘Oh, I got it twice,’ and we’re hearing more and more of that, which is interesting,”she said,citing “pandemic fatigue” as another potential reason behind the surge.
“There was a lull in people getting vaccinated between omicron version 1 and 2,” she said. “We want to continue encouraging folks to get their boosters.”
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Tuesday authorized boosters for the 5-11 age group, and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s safety advisers will decide on a formal recommendation today.
“I’m sure there’s a lot of parents out there, like myself, eager to get their kids boosted,” said Cabatu. “It’ll help with keeping our kids safe during the summer when they go and mix with other groups of kids during their summer programs.”
For upcoming graduations, at-home test kits have been distributed by HMC to parents via their Health Resources & Services Administration COVID-19 Testing Supply Program.
“For graduations and any other social gathering at this point, mitigate your risks, wear a mask if you don’t know the vaccination status of your surrounding attendees, and just try to stay safe,” Cabatu said. “There’s some kids that are going to get infected in the next couple of days that will miss the last day of school, and that’s heartbreaking for them.”
The state Department of Education released a statement on graduations Wednesday, saying “further restrictions are always a possibility as schools continue to prioritize the health and safety of students and staff.”
The DOE noted any adjustments to graduations will come directly from the schools.
“We encourage those attending graduation to carefully read all the latest information and instructions provided by their school and ask for cooperation in taking proper precautions and adhering to any guidelines,” the statement from the DOE said.
From May 8-17, there have been 1,264 confirmed or probable cases reported across the 257 state public schools, bringing the daily case average up to 253. This is the eighth week of increased cases for Hawaii public schools.
Over the past seven days, most Big Island cases occurred at Honokaa High & Intermediate, where 22 cases were reported, followed by Waiakea High School, where 19 cases were reported over the same period.
Cabatu recommended parents take advantage of the mitigation measures available, such as at-home tests, masks, vaccinations and boosters prior to attending graduation.
“If you don’t want to get sick, try your very best to do all the precautions we were taught during the pandemic, and we should be able to enjoy the summer and our vacations with family and friends,” Cabatu said. “Stay tuned for where vaccines for the keiki are going to be available.”
Email Grant Phillips at gphillips@hawaiitribune-herald.com.
