Children face greater risk from coronavirus than previously expected, says study

Children, teens, and young adults are at greater risk for severe complications from COVID-19 than previously thought and expected, according to a study.

According to the study, published in JAMA Pediatrics, children are more likely to get very sick if they have other chronic conditions like obesity.

It is also important to note that children without chronic illness are also at risk.

The study is the first to describe the characteristics of seriously ill pediatric COVID-19 patients in North America. In the research, the scientists assessed 48 children and young adults -- from newborns to 21 years old -- who were admitted to pediatric intensive care units (PICUs) in the US and Canada for COVID-19 in March and April.

The study noted that more than 80 per cent of the children had chronic underlying conditions, such as immune suppression, obesity, diabetes, seizures, or chronic lung disease.

Of these children, 40 per cent depended on technological support due to developmental 
delays or genetic anomalies, the researchers said.

More than 20 per cent experienced failure of two or more organ systems due to COVID-19, they said, adding that nearly 40 per cent required a breathing tube and ventilator.
At the end of the follow-up period, about 33 percent of the children were still hospitalised due to COVID-19, the scientists reported in the study.

Three of the children still required ventilator support and one of them was still on life support.

The study also noted that two of the children admitted during the three-week study period died.

Compared with mortality rates of up to 62 per cent among adults admitted to ICUs for 
The mortality rate for PICU patients is 4.2 per cent.

(with inputs)