NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) – The number of children contracting COVID-19 now makes up 40% of all of Tennessee’s cases, according to the state Department of Health.
Those numbers, released by the health agency earlier this week, arrive as Tennessee has seen a steady rise in hospitalizations that mirror the drastic numbers not seen since the state’s last peak during the winter.
As of Wednesday, 3,338 Tennesseans were hospitalized due to the virus. In January, the state hovered around 3,300 hospitalizations.
Meanwhile, the state also has seen the worst rate for cumulative virus cases in children per capita in the country. Tennessee is reporting roughly 11,460 cases per 100,000 cases in children as of last week, the highest in all reporting states, the American Academy of Pediatrics reported.
“I’ll be honest, even I did not think we would end up at this point where we are,” said Jamie Swift, infection prevention director at Ballad Health, speaking at a Wednesday news conference.