Comorbidities, clinical characteristics and outcomes of COVID-19 in pediatric patients in a tertiary medical center in the Netherlands

Excerpt

Having pre-existing comorbidities is described as a risk factor for more severe disease in adult corona virus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and in infections with SARS-CoV-1 and MERS-CoV [1]. In adult SARS-CoV-2 infections, patients with pre-existing underlying comorbidities, such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, cardiovascular disease, diabetes and obesity, are more likely to have severe disease compared to healthy adults [2]. An inconsistency is seen in current findings on the association with comorbidities and pediatric COVID-19 severity. An important limitation in currently available studies is limited data: severe disease is rare in children compared to adults, and most studies describe COVID-19 severity merely by reporting intensive care unit (ICU) admission or mortality rates instead of detailed data on clinical presentation and outcomes. …