Researchers in Dallas say the most recent spike in COVID-19 cases is among youth.
During the past 30 days, there were 1,297 COVID-19 cases in school-aged children and staff reported from 425 separate K-12 schools in Dallas County.
During the weeks of March 3 through March 22, 641 Dallas County adolescents tested positive for COVID-19. That's a 14.2% increase over the prior week, according to Parkland Center for Clinical Innovation.
More than 50 high school students tested positive after a dance and dinner on March 13.
Get DFW local news, weather forecasts and entertainment stories to your inbox. Sign up for NBC DFW newsletters.
Pediatricians are warning parents to not let their guards down as the virus continues to spread among those who aren't protected: children.
"Most infections tend to happen not at school. They tend to happen at home or from family events and gatherings," said Frisco-based pediatrician Dr. Sandeepa Rajadhyaksha at Kids World Pediatrics.
Rajadhyaksha said while the risk of severe illness is low for children, experts still don't know why some children get MIS-C or multi-system-inflammatory syndrome.
Local
The latest news from around North Texas.
The Texas Department of State Health Servces reports that to date, 97 children and teens have suffered a very serious complication that affects the entire body.
One child has died.
The other concern about spread among children is that it gives the virus more opportunity to mutate into a variant that won't respond to the current vaccines.
Rajadhyaksha stresses the importance of COVID-19 testing if your child is showing symptoms
"With COVID, we see fever, fatigue, shortness of breath. In kids, we might see belly pain, diarrhea, but what I always tell parents, if you're not sure in this case, if you don't want to take that risk, just have it checked out," said Rajadhyaksha.
More than six million children in the U.S. are affected by seasonal allergies.
While allergies are common, during the pandemic, it's important for parents to know if their child's sniffle or sore throat is simply pollen-related or if it could be a sign of COVID-19.
Children's Health developed this infographic to help provide guidance for parents who may be concerned about their child's symptoms.
