One-third COVID-19 deaths among US children occur during Omicron surge: The Guardian

LONDON, March 14 -- As many as one third of all deaths from COVID-19 among US children have occurred during the Omicron surge of the pandemic, The Guardian has reported.

"Children seem to be facing increasing risks from COVID-19 even as mask mandates drop across the country, and vaccination rates among children stall out at alarmingly low rates," said the British newspaper on Friday.

Citing data from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the report said since the beginning of 2022, 550 children have died from COVID-19 in the United States, compared with 1,017 children in the preceding 22 months. The figures cover the group aged 0-17; their fatality rate remains the lowest compared to other cohorts.

First identified in November, the Omicron variant became the dominant one in the United States within weeks, it added.

Although Omicron is less severe than Delta, it is three to five times more deadly in the overall population than pre-Delta variants were, said The Guardian, citing a recent CDC research in January.