Covid hospitalizations among US children soar as schools under pressure

Covid-19 hospitalizations among children in the US are soaring, fueled by the Omicron variant and the holidays, and adding pressure to already-strained health systems and schools.

An average of 672 children were being hospitalized every day in the US, as of 2 January - more than double the average just a week before. And the rate is rapidly increasing.

Cases are also rising. There were more than 325,000 new cases among kids in the week ending 23 December, a 64% increase from the previous week and nearly double the cases two weeks earlier, the...