Despite high hopes for a so-called vaxx summer, the Delta variant of the novel coronavirus is driving a wild new spike in infections across the United States, especially in areas where a large number of residents have rejected the COVID-19 vaccines.
But it’s not just stubborn, unvaccinated adults who are catching Delta and getting really, really sick. The variant—“lineage” is the scientific term—also may be sending children to the hospital at a higher rate than previous variants. And Florida, where the number of children hospitalized with COVID-19 appears to be higher than ever, could reach a new frontier of pandemic chaos in the coming weeks thanks to the flourishing variant, middling vaccination rates, and a risky school reopening scheme.
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