Cook Children's Medical Center treating record-breaking number of kids for COVID-19

FORT WORTH, Texas - As hospitalizations continue to tick up across North Texas, Cook Children's Medical Center says it's treating a record-breaking number of kids diagnosed with COVID-19.

Across the North Texas 19-county region, nearly 4,000 people are in hospitals. That's an increase of 111 from Tuesday and represents more than a quarter of all hospital patients. 

Of the nearly 4,000 people, 151 of them are kids.

Nearly 70 of them are being treated at Cook Children's Medical Center in Fort Worth, which is a pandemic high. Before that, the record was 51 set just last week. Back in December, it was around 30.

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Cook Children’s Chief Nursing Officer Cheryl Petersen says roughly half of the patients testing positive for COVID initially came to the hospital about a separate illness.

"In wintertime, it is very typical for us to see children who are ill with viral illnesses," she said.

Pediatrician Bianka Soria-Olmos says because COVID symptoms can often mimic other viruses, a COVID test is vital during the initial evaluation.

"With omicron, we are seeing more and more kids present with this upper airway inflammation that basically causes them to have difficulties with inflammation with the upper airway," she said.

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Looking back at hospital data, it shows the number of positive cases is six times higher than during the January 2021 surge and twice what it was in September.

Petersen says the hospital has been at capacity for weeks, and it’s been forced to sometimes turn away non-urgent transfer patients.

"We have started with one COVID floor," Petersen said. "We have spilled over into a second unit before Christmas, and now we are beyond that."

Data from the Parkland Center for Clinical Innovation shows pediatric cases have doubled from week to week. And in Pre-K aged children who are too young to get vaccinated, the cases have tripled.

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But compared to previous variants, the length of a hospital stay is lower during omicron and fewer of those hospitalized patients are ending up in the ICU.

"We’re pleased that it’s a lesser length of stay," Petersen said. "But if you come to the hospital and you’re admitted, it’s because there some necessity for supporting a ventilatory or respiratory or antibiotic or fluid administration so it’s not to be taken lightly."

Doctors urge parents not to come to the ER just for a test. And if you do test positive at home, don't retest immediately. They recommend you make an appointment with your child’s pediatrician for the next 2-3 days.

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