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More kids hospitalized with COVID-19 at Norton Healthcare than ever before, hospital officials say

Friday, 4,000 new cases of COVID-19 were reported in Kentucky. Children 18 and under made up 929 of those cases.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Louisville doctors said they're starting to see kids with COVID-19 getting sicker at higher rates than before. Cases in kids 18 and under are surging right now, on Friday 4,000 new cases of COVID-19 were reported. Children 18 and under made up 929 of those cases. 

Norton Health is also seeing a surge in young COVID patients. Right now, nine patients under 18 are being treated for COVID.

Kentucky Children's Hospital has treated 10 severe COVID patients that are 18 and under throughout the entire pandemic, four of those cases — happened in the last two weeks.

"That's alarming to me as we're seeing what appears to be a distinct upward trend," Kentucky Children's Hospital Medical Director for Pediatric Infection Prevention & Control Dr. Sean McTigue said. "We're certainly seeing many, many more children testing positive in the outpatient environment. So kids who may be asymptomatic or mildly symptomatic "

Danielle Nelson's two sons tested positive for COVID-19 last week. Her 11-year-old son started complaining of a headache and fever. Nelson chalked it up to an earache, but the doctor handed her the news. Her two sons, herself and her husband all had contracted the virus. 

"Honestly, I was upset. Not a sad upset, I was mad, because COVID has consumed the world in a sense," said Nelson. 

Her two boys recovered quickly from their mild coughs and low-grade fevers. Her husband is at Baptist Health, recovering after going into respiratory failure. Danielle is at home with mild symptoms. No one in her immediate family has been vaccinated. 

"I know I was very lucky with my boys. I was very lucky and I will never take that for granted," said Nelson. 

McTigue confirmed that almost all of the severe COVID cases at the hospital were in kids 12 and older, meaning they are eligible to receive the Pfizer vaccine.

"If we're getting our eligible kids immunized, we can prevent this,"McTigue said. "The more adults that are in contact with our children who are not yet old enough to be immunized, the more of these adults that we get immunized, the fewer infections we're going to see in children and the fewer of these complications that we're going to see."

According to state data, more than 100k Kentuckians under the age of 18 have gotten at least one COVID-19 shot.

RELATED: Kentucky reports 10th highest daily COVID cases since pandemic started

RELATED: As cases surge, Beshear warns 'if you're not vaccinated, it's coming for you'

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