DALLAS — Cook Children's Medical Center currently has 23 patients hospitalized with COVID-19 as of Friday, according to the Fort Worth hospital's latest data update.
The hospital's seven-day average positivity rate has risen to 12.3%, up from 8.6% last week and the highest since February.
Last week, Cook Children's reported that five children were in intensive care with COVID-19, but more information on their conditions was not available. The hospital did not say Friday how many COVID-19 patients are in intensive care.
Cook Children's is seeing more than 70 COVID-19 cases per day, on average, according to the data.
The hospital's recent surge due to the Delta variant has surpassed last summer's COVID-19 wave and is mirroring the levels it saw last fall, before cases spiked in the winter months.
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Across the North Texas region, there were 2,013 patients hospitalized with COVID-19 on Thursday, across all age groups. In Tarrant County, there were 711 patients hospitalized with the virus. Dallas County had 528 patients hospitalized with COVID-19.
Dr. Marc Mazade, medical director of infection control at prevention at Cook Children's, urged parents last week to get vaccinated and have their children wear a mask in school.
Health officials have also urged parents to get their children vaccinated if they are 12 and older.
"We have a huge hole in our net because people are not getting vaccinated," Mazade said. "The Delta variant is ripping through the unimmunized population like wildfire."
Across North Texas, hospitals have seen more younger patients hospitalized with COVID-19, as the Delta variant continues to spread, officials said this week.
Mazade released a 10-point guide this week for students to return safely to school in August.
The recommendations included:
- Making sure your child is up to date on routine vaccinations against illnesses such as measles, pertussis and mumps.
- Wearing a mask in school, if needed. Guidance from the American Academy of Pediatrics and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have advocated for masking in schools.
- Getting vaccinated if you're an eligible child or adult. The Cook Children's guidance points out that COVID-19 has been shown to spread more efficiently from adults and teens to younger children more so than the reverse.
- For schools, coordinating vaccination events with orientation or "meet-the-teacher" night as an added opportunity to get vaccinated.
- Continuing to promote social distancing in classrooms and hallways, when possible.
Read Dr. Mazade's full recommendations here.