Coronavirus disease‐19 deaths among children and adolescents in an area of Northeast, Brazil: why so many?

Siqueira Alves Lopes, Aline, Fontes Vieira, Sarah Cristina, Lima Santos Porto, Roseane, Santana Santos, Victor, Fontes Leite, Debora Cristina, Cuevas, Luis ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6581-0587 and Queiroz Gurgel, Ricardo (2021) 'Coronavirus disease‐19 deaths among children and adolescents in an area of Northeast, Brazil: why so many?'. Tropical Medicine & International Health, Vol 26, Issue 1, pp. 115-119.

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Abstract

Objective: To describe COVID-19 deaths among children and adolescents in Sergipe, Brazil.
Methods: This was an ecological study of all COVID-19 reported cases and deaths occurring in children and adolescents < 19 years of age in Sergipe reported by the health surveillance and mortality information systems of Sergipe’s Health Secretary and hospital records.
Results: 37 deaths in children <19 years old were reported up to the 30th September, corresponding to 4.87 deaths for 100,000 population < 19 years old. Most deaths occurred among infants (n=15; 41%) and this age group had the highest case fatality rate (15.3 %). Most children had comorbidities such as chronic neurological diseases (n=7; 19%) and prematurity (n=4; 11%). Most children who died (n=18; 49%) were not admitted to the intensive care units (ICU).
Conclusion: COVID-19 mortality in children and adolescents in Sergipe was higher than in other Brazilian states and in high income countries. A high proportion of the deaths occurred among children with co-morbidities and a minority of children were admitted to ICU, reflecting the limited provision of these beds in the State. Newborns and infants are a high risk group that must have priority in health public policy.

Item Type:	Article
Subjects:	WA Public Health > WA 105 Epidemiology WA Public Health > Health Problems of Special Population Groups > WA 395 Health in developing countries WA Public Health > Statistics. Surveys > WA 900 Public health statistics WC Communicable Diseases > Virus Diseases > Viral Respiratory Tract Infections. Respirovirus Infections > WC 505 Viral respiratory tract infections WS Pediatrics > WS 100 General works
Faculty: Department:	Clinical Sciences & International Health > Clinical Sciences Department
Digital Object Identifer (DOI):	https://doi.org/10.1111/tmi.13529
Depositing User:	Rachael O'Donoghue
Date Deposited:	17 Dec 2020 14:12
Last Modified:	20 Nov 2021 02:02
URI:	https://archive.lstmed.ac.uk/id/eprint/16434

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