Children and COVID-19 Research Library

The rapid worldwide spread of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infections led to public health crises globally and the number of pediatric patients with Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) is still rising. The aim of this study was to describe the epidemiological, clinical, laboratory, and imaging features of hospitalized patients with COVID-19 at an Iranian referral pediatrics hospital and to compare these parameters between hospitalized patients with and without severe disease, multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C) and children with acute COVID-19, as well as deceased and discharged cases. This study included hospitalized children and adolescents (≤ 18 years) with suspected COVID-19 who had positive results for SARS-CoV-2.

Little research exists on coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccine hesitancy among caregivers of children with cancer. We aimed to (a) describe vaccine hesitancy in parents of children with cancer for both their child and self, and (b) examine the mediating role of parent-reported COVID impact on the association between COVID exposure and vaccine hesitancy. This study conducted a national survey of parents of children with cancer via Facebook and Momcology, a pediatric cancer community-based organization recruited February–May 2021. Parents completed standardized measures online. A series of mediation models assessed the role of COVID-19 impact (e.g., effects on parenting and well-being) on associations between COVID-19 exposure (e.g., direct/indirect exposure) and vaccine hesitancy. Moderation models examined the role of treatment status, COVID-19 exposure, impact, and vaccine hesitancy.

This study aims to describe the health characteristics of rotating shift mining workers that may be related to a worse course scenario for COVID-19, according to literature data. It is a cross-sectional from three studies with 1478 shift workers. Social, demographic, clinical, and biochemical variables were analyzed. Risk factors for COVID-19 analyzed: hyperglycemia, altered blood pressure, dyslipidemia, hypovitaminosis D, obesity, presence of pre-existing cardiovascular diseases, and smokers.

Reinfection after primary SARS-CoV-2 infection is uncommon in adults, but little is known about the risks, characteristics, severity, or outcomes of reinfection in children. This study aimed to assess the risk of SARS-CoV-2 reinfection in children and compare this with the risk in adults, by analysis of national testing data for England. National surveillance study to assess reinfection of SARS-CoV-2 in children in England  used national SARS-CoV-2 testing data to estimate the risk of reinfection at least 90 days after primary infection from Jan 27, 2020, to July, 31, 2021, which encompassed the alpha (B.1.1.7) and delta (B.1.617.2) variant waves in England. Data from children up to age 16 years who met the criteria for reinfection were included. Disease severity was assessed by linking reinfection cases to national hospital admission data, intensive care admission, and death registration datasets.

The coronavirus disease pandemic is predicted to have adverse health effects on children and adolescents who are overweight or obese due to restricted school activity and stay-at-home orders. The purpose of this observational study was to determine the factors associated with weight gain in children and adolescents with overweight and obesity during coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) lockdown. Ninety-seven participants (sex- and age-specific body mass index (BMI) ≥ 85th percentile) were included. A baseline examination was conducted pre-COVID-19 (August 2019 to January 2020), and re-examination was performed post-lockdown (June to September 2020) and the results were compared. Correlation and regression analyses were conducted to investigate the association among changes in cardiometabolic markers and lifestyle behaviors with changes in BMI z-score.

This study aimed to examine factors impacting U.S. parents’ intention to vaccinate their children against COVID-19. Data were collected February-May 2021 from parents living in six geographically diverse locations. The COVID-19 Exposure and Family Impact Survey assessed perceived susceptibility and severity to adverse outcomes from the pandemic. Semi-structured interviews assessed perceptions about benefits and risks of vaccinating children..

To address the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, development and regulatory evaluations have been accelerated for vaccines, authorizing emergency use. To anticipate vaccine preparedness in adolescents, this study analyzed COVID-19 vaccination awareness and willingness to vaccinate before the vaccine became available. It conducted a cross-sectional survey among 9153 (4575 boys, 50%) students with a mean age of 14.2 years old in four cities in China to collect information on demographic characteristics and their COVID-19 vaccination concerns. Multinomial logistic regression was used to analyze the influencing factors of vaccine hesitancy (“not sure”) and resistance (“do not want it”).

The proportion of children and adolescents with COVID-19 had gradually increased according to data reported by WHO. However, there was no meta-analysis of effectiveness and safety of SARS-CoV-2 vaccines in children and adolescents. This paper aimed to provide investigationbased medical evidence and reference recommendations for children and adolescents in regard to SARS-CoV-2 vaccines. It systematically searched PubMed, Embase, and Web of Science from inception to 5 January 2022. RCTs and observational studies that examined the effectiveness and safety were included.

Pregnant women with COVID-19 require special attention and care, since the infection does not only affect the mother, but also her neonate and adversely affects pregnancy outcomes. The main goal of this retrospective cohort study is to investigate association between the maternal COVID-19 severity and risk of developing adverse neonatal outcomes. Patients were stratified into asymptomatic/mild and moderate to severe COVID-19. The following neonatal outcomes were assessed: gestational age at the time of delivery, birth weight, neonatal infection, neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) admission.

This study intends to reveal the underlying structural inequity in vulnerability to infection of the novel coronavirus disease pandemic among children and youth. Using multi-source data from New York Times novel coronavirus disease tracking project and County Health Rankings & Roadmap Program, this study shows that children and youth in socioeconomically disadvantaged status are faced with disproportionate risk of infection in this pandemic. On the county level, socioeconomic disadvantages (i.e., single parent family, low birthweight, severe housing problems) contribute to the confirmed cases and death cases of the novel coronavirus disease. Policymakers should pay more attention to this vulnerable group to implement more targeted and effective epidemic prevention and control.

In China, the national prevalence of parental influenza vaccine hesitancy (IVH) during the pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), and the association between risk perception and parental IVH are still unclear. This study aimed to explore the association between risk perception and IVH for children among reproductive women in China, a poorly studied area. From December 14, 2020, to January 31, 2021, we conducted a national anonymous online survey on IVH for children among reproductive women in China. We assessed risk perception including perceived susceptibility, severity, barriers, and benefits using the Health Belief Model and then classified each variable into three groups based on tertiles. Logistic regression models were used to calculate the adjusted odds ratio (aOR) of risk perception related to vaccine hesitancy after controlling for sociodemographic characteristics, health status, and knowledge of influenza, among other factors. Additionally, subgroup analysis was performed.

Age is the most important determinant of COVID-19 severity. Infectious disease severity by age is typically J-shaped, with infants and the elderly carrying a high burden of disease. This study reports on the comparative disease severity between infants and older children in a multicenter retrospective cohort study of children 0 to 17 years old admitted for acute COVID-19 from February 2020 through May 2021 in 17 pediatric hospitals. It compares clinical and laboratory characteristics and estimate the association between age group and disease severity using ordinal logistic regression.