Illinois ranks second in the nation for the cumulative number of children and youth diagnosed with COVID-19. Illinois youth, 19 years old and under, make up 15% of confirmed COVID-19 cases in Illinois as of Feb. 11. That's according to figures from the American Academy of Pediatrics and the Children's Hospital Association. Only 2.3% of children with COVID-19 end up hospitalized, but some deal with lasting health effects. And there are indirect impacts as well – academic progress and social and emotional enrichment are taking a hit. Experts say indirect impacts of COVID-19 disproportionately affect Black and brown families as well as low-income households. Researchers are also concerned with the growing number of kids who contract the virus and deal with medical symptoms weeks later. Vaccine trials for youth are underway, but shots are not expected to reach most young people until 2022.