COVID-19 in children and adolescents in Europe: a multinational, multicentre cohort study

June 25, 2020

Götzinger F, Santiago-García B, Noguera-Julián A, Lanaspa M, Lancella L, Calò Carducci FI, et al.

The Lancet Child & Adolescent Health

This study evaluated 582 children and adolescents with SARS-CoV-2 infection across 82 health care institutions in 25 European countries. The authors found that while COVID-19 typically presents as a mild disease in children and adolescents, among those in this study sample, some required hospitalisation (62%), admission to the ICU (8%), and mechanical ventilation (4%). Risk factors for ICU admission included being <1-month-old, being male, having a pre-existing medical condition, and having a lower respiratory tract infection sign or symptom. While a total of 4 children died, resulting in a case-fatality rate of 0.69%, the authors note that the true case-fatality rate among children and adolescents is likely much lower because many have mild symptoms and are unlikely to be diagnosed with COVID-19. Antiviral drugs used in this study population included hydroxychloroquine (7%), remdesivir (3%), lopinavir–ritonavir (1%]), and oseltamivir (1%), while immunomodulatory medications included corticosteroids (4%), intravenous immunoglobulin (1%), tocilizumab (1%), anakinra (1%), and siltuximab (<1%).

Götzinger F, Santiago-García B, Noguera-Julián A, Lanaspa M, Lancella L, Calò Carducci FI, et al. COVID-19 in children and adolescents in Europe: a multinational, multicentre cohort study. The Lancet Child & Adolescent Health.

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