COVID-19 in Children: Alarming Concerns for Severity and Mortality

Strategic Insights -

Researchers at the Tehran University of Medical Sciences have conducted a study to describe the epidemiological, clinical, laboratory, and imaging features of hospitalized patients with COVID-19 in Iranian children. The study aimed to compare parameters between hospitalized patients with and without severe disease, multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C), and children with acute COVID-19. The findings indicate a significant increase in the number of pediatric patients with severe COVID-19, with underlying diseases, such as cardiovascular diseases, cancer, and malignancies, associated with a higher risk of severe disease and death. In contrast, pediatric patients with MIS-C typically develop a milder form of the disease.

Key Takeaways:

  • The study included 262 hospitalized children and adolescents with suspected COVID-19, of which 142 confirmed COVID-19 cases were included in the study.
  • Among the 142 confirmed cases, 50 patients (35%) were shown to have a more severe form of COVID-19.
  • The majority of cases with MIS-C were male (n = 9, 82%), which is significantly higher than children (n = 61, 47%) with acute COVID-19 (P = 0.03).
  • 90% of cases (n = 45) with severe COVID-19 had comorbidities, which is significantly higher than cases with non-severe or mild disease (n = 41, 45%; P < 0.001).
  • The study concluded that underlying diseases are associated with a greater risk of development of severe COVID-19 and even death in children.

Statistics:

  • 142 confirmed COVID-19 cases were included in the study.
  • 50 patients (35%) were shown to have a more severe form of COVID-19.
  • 90% of cases (n = 45) with severe COVID-19 had comorbidities.
  • P = 0.03 for the comparison between cases with MIS-C and acute COVID-19.
  • P < 0.001 for the comparison between cases with severe COVID-19 and non-severe or mild disease.

Sources:

  • Children with SARS-CoV-2 infection during the novel coronaviral disease (COVID-19) outbreak in Iran: an alarming concern for severity and mortality of the disease. BMC Infectious Diseases, 2022,22(1):1-10. (BMC Infectious Diseases - http://bmcinfectdis.biomedcentral.com)
  • Tehran University of Medical Sciences. (2022, May 8). New Findings Reported from Tehran University of Medical Sciences Describe Advances in COVID-19 [Children with SARS-CoV-2 infection during the novel coronaviral disease (COVID-19) outbreak in Iran: an alarming concern for severity and mortality ...]. Medical Letter on the CDC & FDA.