Public health officials on Thursday said new virus cases among below 18-year-old San Francisco residents are considered relatively low amid the latest hike in the Delta variant cases and the resumption of in-person learning after over a year.
Staff members from the San Francisco Department of Public Health remained alert in keeping an eye on new infections. The department said it also made a free vaccination program among qualified persons, as well as other undertakings like testing services; contact tracing, and support to educational institutions on implementing anti-virus protocols.
On Thursday, the data released by the department showed that kids only make up a minimal part of the whole city’s virus tally. Some 11.5 percent of the positive cases involve children aged under 18, the statistics reveal.
Officials said that serious virus cases among the young are very rare. Most of the infected children only manifest mild symptoms or no symptoms at all when the Delta cases soar, KPIX 5 reported.
In a separate report by KRON4, pediatric cases recorded in the city have been steady throughout the pandemic with 17 percent in May; 12.8 percent in June; 10.8 percent in July; and 12.8 percent last month.
Citing the same data provided by the health department, KRON4 reported that vaccinations remain as the top protection for children against serious cases. Fully vaccinated San Francisco residents aged 12 to 17 are at 90 percent.
The San Francisco Unified School District has logged 227 virus cases as of Wednesday. The district has a total of 52, 000 students and about 10, 000 workforce members.
In San Francisco’s private and charter schools, meanwhile, there have been a total of 61 virus cases recorded out of its more than 20, 000 students and about 5, 000 personnel.
The Department of Public Health said infections recorded in schools have “been so low it cannot be publicly reported without concern for privacy and confidentiality. All other cases reported at schools were related to community transmission outside of school (as of September 8).”
