3,400 kids, teens infected since March 1

State reports that none of the children have died

More than 3,400 kids under 18 years old have been infected with COVID-19 since March 1, according to a new report from the Florida Department of Health. None of the children have died.

The report, which will now be issued weekly, provides the first glimpse at the burden of COVID-19 on children.

In Central Florida, Orange County has reported 161 cases. Lake County has had 16 cases, Osceola County 35 cases and Seminole County 26 cases.

The positivity rate — the percentage of children who tested positive out of all the kids who were tested — is 9%, which is higher than what’s been reported among adults. However, that could be because most of the kids who have been tested probably had symptoms that prompted their parents to seek care.

“I suspect there are a lot of kids who may be shedding small amounts of virus without a whole lot of symptoms,” said Dr. Kenneth Alexander,

chief of Pediatric Infectious Diseases at Nemours Children’s Hospital in Orlando.

The report also shows that nearly half of the children were 10 years or older. Only 6% were under 1 year old. The percentage of hospitalized children ranged from 12% for 5 to 9-year-olds to 23% for children older than 10.

Overall, only 10 children so far have developed Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome, a rare complications resulting from the infection. Those cases have been reported in Broward, Clay, Collier, Duval, Dade and Palm Beach counties.

“If you look at the mortality data and even the hospitalization data, children do really, really well. The majority of kids with COVID-19 probably don’t even come to medical attention,” said Alexander. “I’m much more worried about the 62-year-old diabetic lunch lady than I am about the kid getting a Sloppy Joe. So, as we think about opening our schools, I think the name of the game is still protecting the adults in the school environment.”