HJNO Nov/Dec 2021

HEALTHCARE JOURNAL OF NEW ORLEANS I  NOV / DEC 2021 25 How did the SARS-Cov-2 Delta variant affect children differently than previous common variants? Louisiana was an epicenter of the sum- mer surge in COVID-19 cases, with more than 90% of cases caused by the Delta vari- ant of the virus. Delta was a gamechanger for children, affecting patients who were younger and healthier than ever before. Case numbers peaked nationally in August and early September. During that time, more than 200,000 new pediatric cases were being reported each week, account- ing for more than 26% of all new U.S. COVID-19 cases. Pediatric hospitaliza- tions tripled among children 5-11 years of age and increased tenfold among children 0-4 years of age after the emergence of the Delta variant. The pediatric hospitalization rate was fourfold greater in states with the lowest COVID-19 vaccination rates, includ- ing Louisiana. What changes did Children’s Hospital New Orleans experience in case numbers, severity of cases and death rates? Eighty-three children were admitted to Children’s Hospital NewOrleans for COVID- 19 infection between July 1 and August 31 of this year. This is far and away the largest number of children we have admitted to the hospital during any point in the pandemic. Thirty-eight of those children were 4 years of age or younger; 24 were under 1 year of age. About half of the children admitted to CHNOLA for COVID-19 required intensive care, and two died. How did the Delta variant affect the hospital’s response to COVID-19? Here in Louisiana and across the Gulf South, the COVID-19 Delta surge coincided with an unusual summertime epidemic of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV). This sorely tested our capacity to deliver care to all of the children who needed us. The situation Mark Kline, MD, is physician-in-chief and chief academic officer at Children’s Hospital New Orleans as well as professor of pediatrics at Tulane University School of Medicine and clinical professor of pediatrics at LSU Health Sciences Center. A pediatric infectious disease specialist by training, Kline founded an international pediatric HIV/AIDS program, Baylor International Pediatric AIDS Initiative (BIPAI), a program that builds healthcare infrastructure, trains health professionals, and provides medical care and treatment to children and families across sub-Saharan Africa and in Romania. MarkW. Kline, MD Physician-in-Chief at Children’s Hospital New Orleans and Professor of Pediatrics at Tulane University School of Medicine and LSU Health – New Orleans