Report shows second year of COVID-19 most severe for Canadian children
CTV
A recent report from the Canadian Institute for Health Information (CIHI) says the second year of the COVID-19 pandemic was particularly tough on Canada's youngest children in terms of hospitalizations.
A recent report from the Canadian Institute for Health Information (CIHI) says the second year of the COVID-19 pandemic was particularly tough on Canada's youngest children in terms of hospitalizations.
It found COVID-19 was the sixth most common reason newborns to four-year-olds were hospitalized in 2021-22, with 2,315 patients in that age range.
The numbers rose from 325 patients in 2020-21 -- a 600 per cent increase.
"Some of those other respiratory infections, things like pneumonia, and viral causes have come back," said Nicole Loreti from CIHI. "They've returned to the top 10 in the second year of the pandemic after a decline in the first year."
She added "looking at reports and data like ours can help provide a better understanding and some insights into the reasons that Canadians are going to hospital."
Some parents say the virus was under-recognized for children under age four, and the lack of available vaccines at the time didn't help.
