Children and COVID-19 Research Library

It can be challenging to distinguish COVID-19 in children from other common infections. This study set out to determine the rate at which children consulting a primary care paediatrician with an acute infection are infected with SARS-CoV-2 and to compare distinct findings. In seven out-patient clinics, children aged 0–13 years with any new respiratory or gastrointestinal symptoms and presumed infection were invited to be tested for SARS-CoV-2. Factors that were correlated with testing positive were determined. Samples were collected from 25 January 2021 to 01 April 2021.

This study aimed to examine the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the 24 h movement behaviors of adolescents. This was conducted to capture their evolution from February to December 2020, as well as to explore the use of technology for physical activity purposes by adolescents as a strategy to increase their physical activity during the pandemic. Physical activity, recreational screen time, sleep duration, and sleep quality were self-reported by 2661 adolescents using an online questionnaire. Participants also indicated, in comparison with the previous winter (regular in-class learning), how their different movement behaviors changed during the following 2020 periods: (1) spring (school closures), (2) summer (school break), and (3) autumn (hybrid learning). Finally, information about the use of technology during physical activity was collected.

This study aimed to assess knowledge, attitude and practices (KAP) towards COVID-19 among pregnant women at a tertiary care hospital. This was a questionnaire-based cross-sectional analysis pertaining to COVID-19 which was conducted at a tertiary care obstetric facility in India among 200 consecutive consenting pregnant women. They were assessed for demographic details and KAP score (knowledge—17 questions, attitude—9 questions and practice—8 questions). Analysis of data was done using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) version 25.0.

Central to measuring the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on HIV is understanding the role of loss of access to essential HIV prevention and care services created by clinic and community-based organization closures. This paper uses a comprehensive list of HIV prevention services in four corridors of the US heavily impacted by HIV, developed as part of a large RCT, to illustrate the potential impact of service closure on LGBTQ+ youth.

Adolescents living with HIV (ALHIV, ages 10–19) experience complex challenges to adhere to antiretroviral therapy (ART) and remain in care, and may be vulnerable to wide-scale disruptions during the COVID-19 pandemic. We assessed for a range of effects of the pandemic on ALHIV in western Kenya, and whether effects were greater for ALHIV with recent histories of being lost to program (LTP).

Were environmental changes during the outbreak of COVID-19 associated with increased development of myopia in young schoolchildren in China?  In this observational study longitudinally monitoring 2114 students from grade 2 to grade 3, myopia incidence doubled from November and December 2019 to November and December 2020 compared with the same period from 2018 to 2019. The proportion of children without myopia and with spherical equivalent refraction greater than −0.50 D and less than or equal to +0.50 D in grade 3 had increased by 18% by November and December 2020 compared with the same period in 2019. These data suggest that development of myopia in young Chinese schoolchildren may have increased during the COVID-19 outbreak; the long-term impact of environmental changes during the COVID-19 outbreak period on the development of myopia in children needs further investigation.

The COVID-19 pandemic prompted authorities and institutions around the world to adopt urgent measures of general application, including limiting social contact and shutting down public spaces to prevent spread of the virus. We now see clearly what had been insufficiently anticipated and planned for. Quarantine and other preventative measures often had painful consequences for those who already lead a more challenging life—the disadvantaged and the vulnerable, and those around them. In the context of the pandemic, parents and caregivers of children with disabilities or complex chronic disorders faced unprecedented, at times insurmountable dilemmas. Schools and residential care facilities closed their doors; non-acute management was severely disrupted. Parents and carers had to decide on their own whether to take their children out of care and return them to the family home, or leave them in the usual living environment, where visits and other social contacts were drastically reduced or prohibited.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, the first UK lockdown (March to May 2020) witnessed a dramatic reduction in children presenting to primary/emergency care, creating concern that fear of the virus was resulting in children presenting late. An online survey was co-developed with UK parents to understand the impact of the lockdown on parents' help-seeking for, and care of, their sick/injured child(ren). The survey was advertised through social media and snowballing to parents whose children had been ill/injured during the lockdown. Analysis used descriptive statistics, SPSSv25 and thematic analysis.

This study aimed to describe the negative and positive impacts of changes in cancer care delivery due to COVID-19 pandemic for adolescents and young adults (AYAs) in Canada, as well as the correlates of negative impact and their perspectives on optimization of cancer care. It conducted an online, self-administered survey of AYAs with cancer living in Canada between January and February 2021. Multiple logistic regression was used to identify factors associated with a negative impact on cancer care. Of the 805 participants, 173 (21.5%) experienced a negative impact on their cancer care including delays in diagnostic tests (11.9%), cancer treatment (11.4%), and appointments (11.1%). A prior diagnosis of mental or chronic physical health condition, an annual income of <20,000 CAD, ongoing cancer treatment, and province of residence were independently associated with a negative cancer care impact (p-value < 0.05). The majority (n = 767, 95.2%) stated a positive impact of the changes to cancer care delivery, including the implementation of virtual healthcare visits (n = 601, 74.6%). Pandemic-related changes in cancer care delivery have unfavorably and favorably influenced AYAs with cancer. Interventions to support AYAs who are more vulnerable to the adverse effects of the pandemic, and the thoughtful integration of virtual care into cancer care delivery models is essential.

Increasing numbers of people with prolonged symptoms after recovery from COVID-19 infection (long COVID) have been reported, prompting calls for research. Symptoms of long COVID are poorly characterized, with several phenotypes described, and the causes, treatments, and outcomes are unknown. Calls for research fail to address long COVID in children and adolescents. Given the demand for appropriate care for patients with this condition, agencies have published guidelines on treatment. However, these guidelines inappropriately combine research requirements and services for the children and older adults. The long-term consequences of COVID-19 remain unknown, but prolonged symptom duration and disability are commonly reported among adults. National Institute for Health and Care Excellence guidelines classify infection sequalae by the duration of symptoms, providing interim definitions for long COVID based on limited evidence from small cohorts with short-term follow-up of adults. The paucity of high-quality studies is a barrier to a comprehensive definition of long COVID and postacute COVID. This definition and harmonization of research, diagnosis, and treatment of individuals with long COVID could allow for cohesive national and international data collection and better estimation of incidence, prevalence, and risk factors that are tailored to different age groups.