Washington, Dec 16 : Nearly 1,640,000 children in the US have been diagnosed with Covid-19 since the onset of the pandemic, according to the latest data of the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) and the Children's Hospital Association. A total of 178,823 new child Covid-19 cases were reported the past week from December 3 to 10, the highest weekly increase since the pandemic began, according to the AAP, Xinhua news agency reported. There was a 23-per cent increase in child COVID-19 cases over the two weeks from November 26 to December 10. Children accounted for 12.2 per cent of all confirmed coronavirus cases in the United States. The overall rate was 2,179 cases per 100,000 children in the population, according to the AAP report. Children accounted for 1.2 per cent to 2.9 per cent of total reported hospitalizations, and 0 to 0.21 per cent of all COVID-19 deaths, said the report. "At this time, it appears that severe illness due to COVID-19 is rare among children. However, there is an urgent need to collect more data on longer-term impacts of the pandemic on children, including ways the virus may harm the long-term physical health of infected children, as well as its emotional and mental health effects," the AAP said in the report. /IANS