COVID-19 cases among children in the U.S. are continuing to decline after reaching record-high levels.
More than 225,000 American kids and teenagers tested positive for the virus last week, according to a new report from the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP).
The figure represents a seven percent drop from the roughly 243,000 under-18s who contracted Covid the week prior.
This brings the total of pediatric coronavirus cases to more than 5.5 million since the start of the pandemic.
Children also accounted for 25.7 percent of all U.S. cases recorded last week after making up 28.7 percent of infections the previous week.
However, most pediatric cases are not severe and virus-related fatalities among children are rare with pediatric deaths making up just 0.1 percent of all COVID-19 deaths.
Because of kids' low risk of severe disease and death, parents and doctors are split 50/50 on whether or not to vaccinate kids.
More than 225,000 COVID-19 cases were recorded among children and teens last week, a 7.1% decline from the 243,00 cases recorded the week before
Under-18s accounted for 25.7% of all U.S. cases recorded last week with a total of 5.5 million since the pandemic began. Pictured: Medical staff takes a sample from an Israeli child at a coronavirus test and drive complex in Jerusalem, September 2021
According to the AAP report, 225,978 child COVID-19 cases were reported between September 9 and September 16.
This is a 7.1 percent decrease from the 251,781 cases that were recorded from September 2 to September 9.
Currently, there are 14 states that report 18 percent or more of their cumulative cases are among children: Vermont, South Carolina, Alaska, Tennessee, West Virginia, Maine, New Mexico, Minnesota, Kentucky, New Hampshire, North Dakota, Connecticut Washington and Arizona.
Vermont has the most with more than 22 percent of all the state's cases among its youngest residents.
Meanwhile, just three
