NEW ORLEANS (WGNO) — Shocking new covid data from the Louisiana Department of Health is putting folks on high alert following Christmas weekend. According to LDH, covid hospitalizations have doubled in one week. The Omicron variant continues to surge in both adults and children.
“We’ve seen a massive increase in pediatric patients presenting with symptoms consistent with Covid-19, and the positivity rate is skyrocketing,” said Dr. Leron Finger with Children’s Hospital New Orleans.
Dr. Finger says in just the last seven to ten days he’s seen an upward trend of pediatric patients with covid symptoms in the emergency room.
“Interesting, about 20% of the patients presenting to our emergency room now with symptoms that are consistent are testing positive with Covid-19, and I anticipate that that number will increase,” said Dr. Finger.
With New Year’s Eve just days away, Dr. Finger is asking parents to take precautions now. He says the best way to do so is to get vaccinated.
“The best thing to surround our children in a cocoon of safety is once you’re eligible for the vaccine to get vaccinated,” said Dr. Finger.
Deniz Ucar, a local parent, says she’s taking every precaution to keep her daughter and others safe.
“I’m very concerned and the first thing that I have done is to get my daughter vaccinated,” said Ucar.
Ucar’s 7-year-old daughter Eren says she was anxious to get the vaccine at first…
“When I got my first vaccine, I was really nervous but I found out it didn’t hurt,”
…but she says she’s glad she did.
“There was a little bit of wiggling, but overall it was really good,” said Eren.
Dr. Finger says the right now there are about ten pediatric patients in the hospital with covid, and one of them is intensive care.
