NICD reports peak in Covid-19 infections among teenagers

The National Institute For Communicable Diseases Of South Africa (NICD) released its Covid-19 Surveillance Testing Summary, which showed a peak in Covid-19 infections among teenagers.

The findings of the report for week 34 is based on data collected up to 28 August 2021.  

NICD’s Covid-19 report findings

Infection peak among teenagers

The NICD noted an additional peak in individuals aged 15 to 19.

In addition, the latest data set shows that the testing rate “was slightly higher among females (577 per 100,000 persons) than males (503 per 100,000 persons)”.

“Overall, the percentage testing positive was highest in individuals aged 15-19 years (24.9%), and in this same age group in males (25.3%) and females (24.7%)”, the NICD said.

Overall, the percentage testing positive was highest in individuals aged 15-19 years (24.9%), and in this same age group in males (25.3%) and females (24.7%). pic.twitter.com/Jsl7WupOyd

— NICD (@nicd_sa) September 3, 2021

US teens hospitalisations on the rise

In the United States, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) this week confirmed a spike in hospitalisations among children, believed to be driven by the Delta variant.

“Among US children and adolescents aged 0 to 17 years, Covid-19 cases [and] hospital admissions increased between June and August 2021”, the CDC said in its Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.

CDC Director Rochelle Walensk said she was “deeply concerned by the numbers of hospitalised adolescents who required treatment in intensive care units or mechanical ventilation”.

ALSO READ: Delta variant: ‘War’ on Covid-19 changed, says CDC

Covid-19 hospitalisations in South Africa

The NICD data also shows hospitalised patients made up 35.8% of all reported tests, of which 42% were in the public sector and 27.8% in the private sector.

Furthermore, the NICD said: “The percentage testing positive in week 34 was higher among outpatients (21.9%) compared to inpatients (17.8%), and decreased from the previous week in both groups.”

The Northern Cape (29.%), Western Cape (27.1%) and Free State (25.%) provinces recorded the high percentage for positive tests.

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