SEMINOLE COUNTY, Fla. — The countdown to the upcoming school year is fast approaching. Hospitalizations are on the rise across the state, but the big question for many are those 18 and under.

What You Need To Know

  • Hospitalizations for patients with COVID-19 are climbing in Florida

  • But rate for people 18 and under is only 1.42% in one hospital group

  • Hospitalizations for those under age 12 is rare, Safety Net Hospital Alliance of Florida says

  • However, some teachers say they still plan to remain cautious and wear masks

The good news, according to the Safety Net Hospital Alliance of Florida, is less than 50 people 18 and younger are hospitalized with COVID-19 in its six largest hospital systems in Florida, including Orlando Health.

Exactly one year ago, Lake Howell High English teacher Bobby Agagnina wasn’t sure what to expect. This year, he knows he’ll start the year in the classroom, but uncertainty remains.

“Now with COVID cases spiking up again, we are almost back to that, you know, unsure area,” Agagnina says.

Numbers in Seminole County continue to go the wrong way. Once again this week, coronavirus cases, the positivity rate and hospital admissions were all up.

According to the Safety Net Hospital Alliance of Florida, which oversees about 12,000 full-service hospital beds in six of the state’s largest metropolitan areas, COVID hospitalizations for those 18 and under is about 1.42%.

“Most of those are between the ages of 12-18,” says Justin Senior, the chief executive officer of Safety Net Hospital Alliance of Florida. “The younger patients, the ones that can’t get vaccinated, are extremely rare.”

A week ago, Seminole County’s COVID-19 positivity rate was 18%. This week, it is 22.5%. Agagnina admits he plays the numbers in his everyday life to keep himself safe.

“My close group of friends, they are all vaccinated,” Agagnina explains. “I do feel safer around them. Will I go in to a big crowded event? Probably not at this time.”

With the first day of school fast approaching and more students back in the classroom, Senior said he does not feel it’s time to panic in terms of children’s safety with the virus.

But while hospitalizations are low for those 18 and younger, Senior points out the average age for those in the hospital is continuing to get younger and younger. ​

“Ultimately, if we start to see a spike in pediatric cases, we need to start to inform emergency management officials of that at the state level and local level so that there can be a reaction,” Senior says. “That becomes an entirely different ball game.”

Agagnina is anxious for the first day of school like the old days, but with a familiar new normal.

“For me, though, I think I am still going to wear a mask in the classroom,” he says.