Accepted for/Published in: JMIR Pediatrics and Parenting
Date Submitted: Oct 14, 2024
Date Accepted: Jan 15, 2025
Date Submitted to PubMed: Jan 22, 2025
Hospitalization and mortality in children due to COVID-19. A retrospective study from Brazil
ABSTRACT
Background:
COVID-19 is currently one of the most important medical challenges as it affects the entire population with children being infected as easily as adults.
Objective:
The study evaluated the mortality of under 19 years old and compared the frequency with that of adults.
Methods:
Design: retrospective observational study, all hospitalizations of COVID-19 positive patients as diagnosed by RT-qPCR were analyzed. Setting: 8986 COVID-19 positive patients hospitalized in a Hospital de Base and the Infant and Maternal Hospital of São Jose do Rio Preto, SP, Brazil (HB/HCM) being these totals of 383 COVID-19 positive under 19 years old. Patients: patients COVID-19 positive under 19-years-old were grouped by age and evaluated by analyzing their medical records. They were categorized as Group I, children, and adolescents under 19 years old and Group II, adults over 19 years old.
Results:
Overall mortality in under 19-years-old was 12 deaths, that is, 3.13% of the patients in this age group. Mortality in the group of adults was 2197 equivalent to 25.5% of the hospitalized adults. Mortality was significantly higher for adults than for under 19-years-old (p-value < 0.0001). Regarding the different ages of children and adolescents, the number of deaths of under 1-year olds was 2/123 (1.62%), of 1-4 years it was 4/95 (2.11%), of 5-9 years it was 1/47 (2.13%), of 10-14 years it was 1/40 (2.5%) and of 15-19 years it was 4/78 (5.13%).
Conclusions:
Mortality from COVID-19 in children and adolescents was lower than in adults and associated with other comorbidities. Clinical Trial: N/A
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