Hospitalization and Mortality in Brazilian Children and Adolescents Due to COVID-19: Retrospective Study

COVID-19 is currently one of the most important medical challenges as it affects the entire population, with children and adolescents being infected as easily as adults.

The objective of this study was to evaluate the prevalence of mortality in children and adolescents aged <19 years, compared to that of adults.

This retrospective, observational study analyzed the medical records of all patients diagnosed with COVID-19 by real-time reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction who were hospitalized at Hospital de Base and the Infant and Maternal Hospital of São José do Rio Preto, São Paulo, Brazil. Out of a total of 8986 hospitalized patients who were COVID-19 positive, 383 (4.26%) were children and adolescents aged <19 years (group 1), and 8603 (95.74%) were adults (group 2).

Overall, mortality was significantly higher (P<.001) in group 2 (2185/8603, 25.4%) compared to group 1 (12/383, 3.1%). A total of 11 (92%) of the 12 patients in group 1 that died had associated diseases. The mortality rates by age group were as follows: infants aged <1 year, 1.6% (2/123); children aged 1-4 years, 4% (4/95); children aged 5-9 years, 2% (1/47); adolescents aged 10-14 years, 2% (1/40); and adolescents aged 15-19 years, 5% (4/78).

Mortality from COVID-19 in children and adolescents was significantly lower than that in adults and was associated with other comorbidities.