communities and they're getting it from unvaccinated adults. >> in the meantime, we're seeing a spike in cases among children and an alarming number of them ending up in hospitals. nick valencia is "outfront" with this cnn exclusive. >> reporter: when you think of people infected with covid-19, think of nelson alexis. the 17-year-old with down syndrome has been in the pediatric icu at the children's hospital of new orleans for a week. every breath he takes is a struggle. are you having trouble breathing? >> uh-uh. >> reporter: is it hard to take a breath? >> yeah. >> reporter: a little more than a week ago, nelson's parents knew something was wrong when he stopped eating. his mother says things got so bad, they thought he was about to die. when they brought him into the hospital, he was immediately placed in the icu. his parents say he's since lost 20 pounds. >> he was very sick.