Inpatient and Outpatient Differences in Pediatric Patients with Laboratory-confirmed COVID-19

Area of Science:

• Pediatric Infectious Diseases
• Epidemiology
• Public Health

Background:

• The COVID-19 pandemic significantly impacted pediatric populations globally.
• Understanding demographic disparities in pediatric COVID-19 outcomes is crucial for targeted public health interventions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To analyze the characteristics and demographic distribution of pediatric patients with laboratory-confirmed COVID-19.
• To identify potential disparities in inpatient versus outpatient encounters among pediatric COVID-19 cases.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective analysis of electronic health records from 40 US healthcare organizations.
• Inclusion criteria: pediatric patients with laboratory-confirmed COVID-19.
• Data collected on encounter type (inpatient vs. outpatient), age, sex, and race/ethnicity.

Main Results:

• A total of 30,286 pediatric encounters with COVID-19 were analyzed.
• 1586 (5.2%) encounters were classified as inpatient.
• Significant variations in encounter types were observed by age and sex.
• The proportion of Black/African American inpatients was significantly higher compared to outpatients.
• Hispanic/Latinx children constituted nearly one-fourth of all pediatric COVID-19 patients.

Conclusions:

• Pediatric COVID-19 encounters exhibit demographic variations, with notable differences between inpatient and outpatient settings.
• Racial and ethnic disparities exist, with Black/African American and Hispanic/Latinx children being disproportionately affected, particularly in inpatient settings.
• These findings underscore the need for culturally sensitive and equitable healthcare strategies to address COVID-19 in diverse pediatric populations.