CLEVELAND, Ohio — Cuyahoga County has the second-highest cumulative number of pediatric COVID-19 cases among Ohio’s counties, according to Monday’s Ohio Department of Health data.
Cuyahoga County has reported 13,877 COVID-19 cases. Franklin County has reported 19,100 cumulative pediatric COVID cases, the highest number in Ohio, according to state health data. Behind Cuyahoga County in third place is Hamilton County, with 13,084 pediatric cases.
The counties with the highest cumulative number of sick kids are also home to some of Ohio’s largest cities, such as Columbus (Franklin County), Cleveland (Cuyahoga County), and Dayton (Montgomery County). Butler and Hamilton counties, which also have large numbers of kids with COVID-19, are near Cincinnati.
ODH defines pediatric cases as children under 18.
Ohio is seeing a surge of pediatric COVID-19 cases that puts it among the worst states for numbers of kids hospitalized with the illness. Among the 10 most populous U.S. states, Ohio ranks fifth for hospitalized children with COVID-19 since July 1, according to HHS data.
Ohio has seen 466 hospitalized children with COVID-19 since July 1, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. There were 170 kids hospitalized for the illness during the first half of September alone in this state.
Since the beginning of the pandemic, there have been nearly 165,000 pediatric COVID-19 cases in Ohio, with 1,618 hospitalizations and 9 deaths, according to state health data.
The pediatric wards at University Hospitals Rainbow Babies and Children’s Hospital are already as full with COVID-19 patients as they normally are at the peak of the respiratory viral season in December and January, said Rainbow pediatric infectious disease specialist Dr. Amy Edwards.
“I am worried, and I know a lot of the other doctors here at University Hospitals are worried,” Edwards said.
Counties with the fewest cumulative pediatric COVID-19 cases are mostly in Ohio’s least populous regions.
Harrison County (163) has the fewest cumulative pediatric COVID-19 cases in the state, followed by Noble (199) and Vinton counties (231).
Harrison and Noble counties are located near the eastern edge of the state. Vinton County, located in southern Ohio, is the least populous county in the state, according to the 2020 U.S. Census.
10 counties with the highest pediatric COVID-19 cases, ranked highest to lowest:
- Franklin County: 19,100
- Cuyahoga County: 13,877
- Hamilton County: 13,084
- Montgomery County: 8,700
- Butler County: 6,474
- Lucas County: 6,309
- Summit County: 5,768
- Warren County: 4,597
- Stark County: 4,295
- Clermont County: 4,008
10 counties with the lowest pediatric COVID-19 cases, ranked lowest to highest:
- Harrison County: 163
- Noble County: 199
- Vinton County: 231
- Morgan County: 232
- Monroe County: 247
- Holmes County: 251
- Meigs County: 259
- Wyandot County: 264
- Paulding County: 313
- Henry County: 323
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