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. 2021 Jan;26(1):115-119.
doi: 10.1111/tmi.13529. Epub 2020 Dec 6.

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

Aline de Siqueira Alves Lopes  1 , Sarah Cristina Fontes Vieira  1 , Roseane Lima Santos Porto  2 , Victor Santana Santos  3   4 , Debora Cristina Fontes Leite  5 , Luis Eduardo Cuevas  6 , Ricardo Queiroz Gurgel  1
Affiliations

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

Aline de Siqueira Alves Lopes et al. Trop Med Int Health. 2021 Jan.

Abstract
in English, French

Objective: To describe COVID-19 deaths among children and adolescents in Sergipe, Brazil.

Methods: 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: Of 37 deaths of children < 19 years old were reported up to 30 September 2020, corresponding to 4.87 deaths for 100 000 population < 19 years old. Most deaths occurred among infants (44.1/100 000), 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 intensive care units (ICUs).

Conclusion: COVID-19 mortality in children and adolescents in Sergipe was higher than in other Brazilian states and in high-income countries. A large proportion of the deaths occurred among children with comorbidities and a minority of children were admitted to ICU, reflecting the limited provision of such beds in the State. Newborns and infants are a high-risk group that must have priority in health public policy.

Objectif: Décrire les décès par COVID-19 chez les enfants et adolescents à Sergipe, au Brésil. MÉTHODES: Etude écologique de tous les cas et décès par COVID-19 signalés chez des enfants et des adolescents <19 ans à Sergipe rapportés par les systèmes de surveillance de la santé et d’information sur la mortalité du Secrétariat de la Santé et les dossiers hospitaliers de Sergipe. RÉSULTATS: 37 décès d'enfants <19 ans ont été signalés au 30 septembre 2020, correspondant à 4,87 décès pour 100.000 habitants de <19 ans. La plupart des décès sont survenus chez des nourrissons (44,1/100.000) et ce groupe d'âge avait le taux de létalité le plus élevé (15,3%). La plupart des enfants présentaient des comorbidités telles que des maladies neurologiques chroniques (n = 7; 19%) et une prématurité (n = 4; 11%). La plupart des enfants décédés (n = 18; 49%) n'avaient pas été admis dans des unités de soins intensifs.

Conclusion: La mortalité par COVID-19 chez les enfants et les adolescents de Sergipe était plus élevée que dans les autres Etats brésiliens et dans les pays à revenu élevé. Une grande partie des décès est survenue chez des enfants souffrant de comorbidités et une minorité d’enfants avaient été admis aux soins intensifs, ce qui reflète la disponibilité limitée de ce type de lits dans l’Etat. Les nouveau-nés et les nourrissons constituent un groupe à haut risque qui doit avoir la priorité dans les politiques de santé publiques.

Keywords: adolescents; children; covid-19; deaths; mortality.

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