A record number of children and young people have developed weakened immune systems and are being hospitalized to treat the common cold and respiratory illnesses, according to a new report published by the Center For Disease Control and Prevention.
The CDC collected samples from random pediatric hospitals across the United States, including Washington, Texas, New York and Ohio, to measure the prevalence of viruses.
The government agency found common cold viruses hit their highest level ever among children and young people under the age of 18 in August 2021, according to the CDC’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report published on Oct. 7.
Nearly 700 children were hospitalized with respiratory viruses across seven wards that were examined by the CDC in August.
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Fifty-five percent of the children tested positive for respiratory syncytial virus, the highest levels ever recorded in summer. In winter months, approximately 30 percent of patients typically contract RSV.
In December 2021, 60 percent of children on wards with respiratory illness were infected with RSV, an all-time record high.
Separate data published by the CDC also shows an unprecedented hospitalization rate among toddlers with respiratory illnesses, the Daily Mail reports.
Data gathered by the CDC in September shows 4.7 percent of children under four years old suffering from breathing difficulties, a record high.
Lockdowns hindered children’s ability to develop immunity to common illnesses, contends Dr. Scott Roberrts, a medical director at Yale University.
“There are two implications to this,” Roberts told Daily Mail. “First, the gap gives time for the viruses to mutate even further to cause more severe disease.”
“Second, whatever immunity was built up to those viruses, it will have waned making the immune response now much less potent,” he continued.
In addition to increasing depleting immunity among children, authoritarian Covid measures have also adversely impacted children’s cognitive development
Speech therapists have seen an alarming spike in the number of babies and toddlers patients who are speech delayed.
Mask-wearing has caused a 364% increase in patient referrals of babies and toddlers, warns speech therapist Jaclyn Theek.
While Covid poses virtually no risk to the health of children in normal circumstances, the Biden administration continues to insist children keep wearing masks in school. The administration continues to require a mask mandate for toddlers as young as 2 years old within the federal Head Start program.