The COVID case count among school-aged residents of Cobb County showed a large increase over the past week, with the count among the 5-17 age segment more than doubling, from 284 cases in the two-week period ending December 16, to 678 during the equivalent period ending December 22.

That represents a jump to 513 cases per 100,000 of population, a rate not seen since the Delta surge during the summer.

These numbers were reported in the Georgia Department of Public Health School Age Surveillance Report, posted each Friday.

The case rate and case count among college-aged students (18-22 years old) more than doubled, with the count jumping from 101 to 253, and the case rate increasing from 215 to 537.

Pre-school residents in the 0-4-year-old age group moved from “moderately high” transmission to “high transmission,” although the increase wasn’t as dramatic, increasing from 85 cases per 100,000 (considered “moderately high”) into a high range of 132 cases per 100,000.

These reports divide the school-aged population into three groups:

0-4 (preschool ages)

5-17 (roughly the public school k-12 range)

18-22 (college undergraduate ages)

About the GDPH School Aged COVID-19 Data Report

The documentation for the School Aged COVID-19 Data Report describes the use of the data as follows:

The data in this report can be used to assess the extent of COVID-19 transmission among preschool/daycare aged children (0-4 years), K-12 school aged children (5-17 years), and college/professional school aged adults (18-22 years) in Georgia. Click on the above tabs to see statewide and county level COVID-19 data. This report is updated weekly. Please consult additional resources to understand trends and other factors affecting your county.

For a complete list of the reports with links, follow this link.