Cases of COVID-19 on the decline among Georgia children

ATLANTA — Cases of COVID-19 among schoolchildren have sharply declined since a peak at the end of August, according to the Georgia Department of Health.

The seven-day average of cases among children ages 0 to 17 was 1,063 on Sept. 16, down from a peak of 2,183 on Aug. 29. That’s more than a 51% decrease. Nearly 1,400 cases of COVID-19 during the peak were among children ages 10 to 17. On Sept. 16, the seven-day average among children in that age group had dropped to 616, a 56% decrease.

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There have been more than 35,000 cases of COVID-19 among students and staff at metro Atlanta schools since the start of the school year.

At least 37 Georgia teachers and staff have died of COVID-19 since the start of the 2021-2022 school year.

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Still, cases in Georgia schools seem to be on the decline as well. In Gwinnett County, Georgia’s largest school district, there has been a 38% decrease in new COVID-19 cases this week, compared to the peak during the week of Aug. 30.

In Cobb County, cases have declined 44% since the week of Aug. 30.

Cases of COVID-19 appear to mostly be mild in children, even during the surge of the highly-contagious delta variant, according to the American Association of Pediatrics.

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At least 16 children have died of the virus in Georgia, according to official state data. Channel 2 Action News is aware of at least two more pediatric deaths in the state that have not been entered into the Georgia Department of Health database.

FDA recommends booster shot for people 65+, at high-risk (NCD)

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