WASHINGTO- More than 97,000 US children tested positive for COVID-19 in the last two weeks of July, according to new data from the American Academy of Pediatrics and the Children's Hospital Association.

The research found that 97,078 new child cases were reported from July 16 to 30, a 40 percent increase in child cases.

While children represented only 8.8 percent of all cases in states reporting cases by age, over 338,000 children have tested positive for COVID-19 since the onset of the pandemic, said the report.

The overall rate is 447 cases per 100,000 children in the population, according to the report.

Children made up between 3 percent to 11.3 percent of total state tests, and between 3.6 percent to 18.4 percent of children tested were positive, said the report.

Besides, children accounted for 0.6 percent to 3.7 percent of total reported hospitalizations, and zero to 0.8 percent of all COVID-19 deaths.

"At this time, it appears that severe illness due to COVID-19 is rare among children. However, states should continue to provide detailed reports on COVID-19 cases, testing, hospitalizations, and mortality by age so that the effects of COVID-19 on children's health can continue to be documented and monitored," said the report.