The Delta variant, a highly contagious strain of COVID-19, is causing a rate of hospitalizations not seen in months. Texas Children’s is doing its part to stop the spread of the Delta variant by requiring vaccinations for all workforce members, and several of our clinical experts have shared their knowledge and experience of the variant and ongoing pandemic in national news.
Texas Children’s Pathologist-in-Chief and interim Pediatrician-in-Chief Dr. Jim Versalovic has been widely featured in recent interviews with outlets including the New York Times, NBC News and Texas Standard. Versalovic told NBC that household infections are a “major driving force” in infecting children with COVID-19, and reported to the Texas Standard that Texas Children’s has seen more than 15,000 COVID-19 cases among children this year.
He also noted to the New York Times that preliminary research has not yet indicated that the Delta variant is more severe for children – though he has seen severe cases among children throughout the pandemic.
“About 10 percent of those children do end up hospitalized and roughly a third of those hospitalized do end up in critical care. It’s very important that we take this seriously,” Versalovic said in the Texas Standard.
Separately, pediatric hospitalist and Chief Medical Officer for the Baylor International Pediatric AIDS Initiative (BIPAI) at Texas Children’s Dr. Heather Haq made national news after detailing her experiences with pediatric COVID-19 patients in a viral Twitter thread. Haq expressed concern about the additional cases of respiratory syncytial virus, not typically seen this time of year, among patients. It’s a “surge upon surge” situation, she said.
Haq also authored an editorial in The Washington Post, published Aug. 4, about her feelings as both a doctor and a mother during this challenging time.
“What I do know is that in this moment, as the highly contagious Delta variant becomes the predominant strain circulating and we enter another COVID surge, I am more worried for children than I have ever been,” Haq wrote in the editorial.
Both physicians also expressed support masking among children as a new school year begins for children in Texas and across the country. Versalovic also provided back-to-school guidance and advice for parents on handling the Delta variant in a recent Texas Children’s video.
“I am hopeful that we’re going to be back in the classroom of in-person learning,” Versalovic told Texas Standard. “But I do think that schools need to be mindful about masking, distancing, sanitizing, having sanitizers readily available to children in schools.”