NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — The COVID-19 pandemic has been much worse over in the U.K., but more school-aged children in the U.S. are ending up in the hospital.
CBS News reports that doctors can’t really determine why, but they have a few theories.
Medical experts think environmental or behavioral differences, such as diet and nutrition, are driving up hospitalizations among kids in the U.S.
Masks do not seem to play a role here, according to experts because they’re not required in the U.K. or the fact more people have been vaccinated across the pond.
The most recent statistics comparing the rate of infections per 100,000 in both countries show that for one week in October, the U.S. had over 10 times more hospital admissions for children under 18 than England.
At the same time, the pandemic is currently much worse in the U.K., which has the 16th-highest incident rate for the past seven days, according to the Open Science COVID Analysis website. We rank 35th.
CBS News medical contributor Dr. David Agus said our genetics are different, our lifestyle is different, and what we're exposed to is different. He thinks that could be why more children end up in the hospital.
Despite the surge of cases in both countries, it's still extremely rare for a child to be hospitalized with COVID.
Now, we have the Pfizer vaccine on the way for young children too that’s going to help.
