Factors Associated With Pediatric COVID-19 Mortality: A Pediatric Investigators Collaborative Network on Infections in Canada (PICNIC) Study

Michael Prodanuk¹, Michelle Barton², Julie Autmizguine³, Corrine Sin Quee-Brown⁴, Charles Hui⁵, Sarah Khan⁶, Paula M Lashley⁷, Marie-Astrid Lefebvre⁸, Lynne Li⁹, Kirk Leifso¹⁰, Alastair McAlpine⁹, Gunjan Mhapankar⁵, Tisha Parikh⁶, Derek Stephens¹, Evelyn Tran⁸, Joan L Robinson¹¹, Upton D Allen¹

Affiliations

¹ Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Paediatrics, The Hospital for Sick Children, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
² Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Paediatrics, Children's Hospital, London Health Sciences Centre, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada.
³ Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Pediatrics, Le Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Mere-Enfant Sainte-Justine, Universite de Montreal, Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
⁴ Division of Haematology and Oncology, Department of Pediatrics, Princess Margaret Hospital, University of the West Indies, Nassau, Bahamas.
⁵ Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Paediatrics, Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.
⁶ Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Paediatrics, McMaster Children's Hospital, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada.
⁷ Department of Clinical Sciences, Queen Elizabeth Hospital, University of the West Indies at Cave Hill, St. Michael, Barbados.
⁸ Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Pediatrics, Montreal Children's Hospital, McGill University Health Centre, Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
⁹ Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Pediatrics, British Columbia Children's Hospital, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.
¹⁰ Department of Pediatrics, Kingston Health Sciences Centre, Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario, Canada.
¹¹ Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Pediatrics, Stollery Children's Hospital, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.

PMID: 40693756
DOI: 10.1093/jpids/piaf068

Factors Associated With Pediatric COVID-19 Mortality: A Pediatric Investigators Collaborative Network on Infections in Canada (PICNIC) Study

Michael Prodanuk et al. J Pediatric Infect Dis Soc. 2025.

. 2025 Aug 7;14(7):piaf068.

doi: 10.1093/jpids/piaf068.

Authors

Affiliations

¹ Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Paediatrics, The Hospital for Sick Children, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
² Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Paediatrics, Children's Hospital, London Health Sciences Centre, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada.
³ Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Pediatrics, Le Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Mere-Enfant Sainte-Justine, Universite de Montreal, Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
⁴ Division of Haematology and Oncology, Department of Pediatrics, Princess Margaret Hospital, University of the West Indies, Nassau, Bahamas.
⁵ Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Paediatrics, Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.
⁶ Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Paediatrics, McMaster Children's Hospital, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada.
⁷ Department of Clinical Sciences, Queen Elizabeth Hospital, University of the West Indies at Cave Hill, St. Michael, Barbados.
⁸ Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Pediatrics, Montreal Children's Hospital, McGill University Health Centre, Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
⁹ Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Pediatrics, British Columbia Children's Hospital, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.
¹⁰ Department of Pediatrics, Kingston Health Sciences Centre, Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario, Canada.
¹¹ Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Pediatrics, Stollery Children's Hospital, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.

PMID: 40693756
DOI: 10.1093/jpids/piaf068

Abstract

Factors associated with COVID-19 mortality are not well characterized in children. This Canadian-Caribbean case-control study identified 26 children who died of COVID-19 and matched them to 78 children hospitalized with COVID-19 who survived. Medical technology dependence and several comorbidities were associated with death, an outcome which occurred in 0.7% of COVID-19 admissions.

Keywords: COVID-19; children; mortality; pediatric.

Plain language summary

Underlying factors associated with COVID-19 mortality in children are not well characterized. This case–control study in Canada and the Caribbean evaluated factors associated with pediatric COVID-19 mortality and found that medical technology dependence and several comorbidities were associated with death.

© The Author(s) 2025. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Pediatric Infectious Diseases Society. All rights reserved. For commercial re-use, please contact reprints@oup.com for reprints and translation rights for reprints. All other permissions can be obtained through our RightsLink service via the Permissions link on the article page on our site—for further information please contact journals.permissions@oup.com.

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Factors Associated With Pediatric COVID-19 Mortality: A Pediatric Investigators Collaborative Network on Infections in Canada (PICNIC) Study

Affiliations

Factors Associated With Pediatric COVID-19 Mortality: A Pediatric Investigators Collaborative Network on Infections in Canada (PICNIC) Study

Authors

Affiliations

Abstract

Plain language summary

MeSH terms

LinkOut - more resources

Full Text Sources

Medical