3 Children Die Of COVID-19 In Virginia As Delta Cases Surge Among Kids

Three children have died of COVID-19 in Virginia as the highly contagious Delta variant continues to surge among kids.

A child between the ages of 0 and 9 died in either the City of Richmond or Henrico County after being diagnosed with COVID-19. Officials from the Virginia Department of Health are yet to share details about the child’s death.

“Our hearts are heavy as we share this tragic and devastating news,” Dr. Melissa Viray, Deputy Director of RHHD, said, according to ABC 8 News. “We send our condolences to the family and are thinking of them in this incredibly difficult time.”

Two other children have died in central Virginia after contracting the novel coronavirus. According to officials, one of the deaths involved a child between the ages of 10 and 19 in the Chesterfield Health District.

Overall, 10 children have died of COVID-19 in the state of Virginia, NBC 12 reported.

The number of COVID-19 cases in the United States has skyrocketed in recent weeks, with health officials reporting 162,724 new infections on Wednesday, according to a New York Times analysis.

The Delta variant, first discovered in India, now accounts for 98% of all new confirmed cases in the United States. But unlike previous waves, there are more children being admitted to the hospital for COVID-19 infections.

At Texas Children’s Hospital in Houston, 200 children are diagnosed with COVID-19 every day. At least 6% of those who test positive for the virus also require hospital care, according to interim pediatrician-in-chief Dr. Jim Versalovic.

Dr. Francis Collins, head of the National Institutes of Health, said the U.S. has over 2,000 children admitted in the hospital, many of whom are in intensive care units, NBC DFW reported.