SAN ANTONIO — Metro Health leaders are continuing to monitor the trend of more children being treated for the coronavirus inside Bexar County hospitals.
About 81 pediatric patients have been hospitalized since the pandemic began, and the number jumped by 19 patients since last week.
Lori Townsend, chief nursing officer at Methodist Children's Hospital, said the majority of children who go to their ER ending up testing positive, and many never even suspect that they had the virus. The reason: They're asymptomatic, and are seeking treatment for other ailments.
"They come into the ER (with) either a broken bone or abdominal pain," Townsend said. "We test them because we are going to admit them and they end up being COVID-positive."
Since March, she said, they have had around 40 kids admitted with the virus. She added a few did come in with respiratory problems.
"The children that we are seeing with COVID symptoms, which are a smaller number of patients, those are our adolescences; 16- and 17-year-olds," she said.
She said the majority are not ending up as sick as adult coronavirus patients, and they haven't had to put a child on a ventilator. Townsend said their busiest weekend with pediatric patients was July 4, and they have had younger COVID-19 patients in intensive care.
"That is the fear that everyone has with kids going back to school: They won't have the symptoms," Townsend said. "But they may be able to spread it. And I am concerned with spreading to your parents, your teachers is what we are all worried about with kids going back to school."
Townsend said volume is down this summer, which happens every year. But, she said the numbers do go up with the return of school.
However, this go-around is different for hospital staff who won't be dealing with just the coronavirus in the coming months, but with the flu and other respiratory infections. Townsend said they are preparing.
"Planning for the worst," she said. "But hoping for the best."