State rates high among school-age infections

The Pennsylvania Department of Health reported 5,725 additional coronavirus cases on Friday, the highest daily total in a week. The seven-day total 32,277 cases calculates to a daily average of 4,611 cases per day, down 7% from a week ago, and up 7% over the last 30 days.

An updated weekly report on coronavirus infections in children shows that Pennsylvania is reigning in the disproportionality high rates of infections in the school-age population — those age 5 through 18.

The numbers are reported separately for preschool and school-age populations in each county.

A Morning Call analysis of the report using U.S. Census Bureau population estimates by age group for comparison shows that, statewide, the ratio of school-age infections to those in the adult population was highest in the week ending Sep. 21, with children contracting the virus 1.55 times more often than adults. For the week ending Oct. 12 the ratio fell to 1.2.

The rates were even more lopsided in the Lehigh Valley. The Sep. 21 ratio for Lehigh County was 1.85 school-age infections for each adult one. The rate fell to 1.2 this week. In Northampton County, the ratio fell from 2.55 on Sep. 21 to 1.47 on Oct. 5. It rose slightly this week to 1.57 school-age infections for each adult one. Although the overall rates of infection fell, they fell faster for adults than children.

For the week ending Oct. 12, childhood coronavirus case rates were higher than those for adults in 44 out of the state’s 67 counties. The rates for all children from birth through age 18 were higher in 35 counties.

There were 82 deaths, compared with 108 on Thursday.

There were 2,946 people hospitalized as of midday Friday compared with 2,978 Thursday. Of those, 687 were in intensive care, and 384 were on ventilators.

Statewide hospitalizations have increased 2.7% over the last week, and are up 33.7% in the last 30 days.

Locally, there were 140 additional case reports, with 76 in Lehigh County and 64 in Northampton County. That brings the total to 90,968.

There were no new deaths locally.

— Eugene Tauber