Hospitalization Rates and Characteristics of Children Aged <18 Years Hospitalized with Laboratory-Confirmed COVID-19 — COVID-NET, 14 States, March 1–July 25, 2020
Lindsay Kim, Michael Whitaker, Alissa O’Halloran, Anita Kambhampati, Shua J. Chai, Arthur Reingold, Isaac Armistead, Breanna Kawasaki, James Meek, Kimberly Yousey‐Hindes, Evan J. Anderson, Kyle P. Openo, Andy Weigel, Patricia Ryan, Maya Monroe, Kimberly Fox, Sue Kim, Ruth Lynfield, Erica Bye, Sarah Shrum Davis, Chad Smelser, Grant Barney, Nancy Spina, Nancy M. Bennett, Christina B. Felsen, Laurie M. Billing, Jessica Shiltz, Melissa Sutton, Nicole West, H. Keipp Talbot, William Schaffner, Ilene Risk, Andrea Price, Lynnette Brammer, Alicia M. Fry, Aron J. Hall, Gayle Langley, Shikha Garg, COVID-NET Surveillance Team, COVID-NET Surveillance Team, Ashley Coates, Pam Daily Kirley, Tanya Libby, Jeremy Roland, Nisha B. Alden, Rachel Herlihy, Sarah McLafferty, Paula Clogher, Hazal Kayalioglu, Amber Maslar, Adam Misiorski, Linda M. Niccolai, Danyel Olson, Christina Parisi, Emily Fawcett, Siyeh Gretzinger, Katelyn Lengacher, Jeremiah Williams, David Blythe, Alicia Brooks, Rachel Park, Michelle Wilson, Kathryn Como‐Sabetti, Richard Danila, Cory Cline, Kathy Angeles, Nancy Eisenberg, Kristina Flores, Caroline Habrun, Emily Hancock, Sarah A. Khanlian, Meaghan Novi, Erin C. Phipps, Yadira Salazar-Sanchez, Elizabeth Dufort, Alison Muse, Sophrena Bushey, Maria Gaitán, RaeAnne Kurtz, Ama Owusu-Dommey, Lindsey Snyder, Katherine A. Michaelis, Kylie Seeley, Tiffanie Markus, Ryan Chatelain, Andrea George, Mary Hill, Laine McCullough, Melanie Spencer, Ashley Swain, Keegan McCaffrey, Rachel Holstein, Seth Meador, Jonathan M. Wortham
Abstract
Most reported cases of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in children aged <18 years appear to be asymptomatic or mild (1). Less is known about severe COVID-19 illness requiring hospitalization in children. During March 1-July 25, 2020, 576 pediatric COVID-19 cases were reported to the COVID-19-Associated Hospitalization Surveillance Network (COVID-NET), a population-based surveillance system that collects data on laboratory-confirmed COVID-19-associated hospitalizations in 14 states (2,3). Based on these data, the cumulative COVID-19-associated hospitalization rate among children aged <18 years during March 1-July 25, 2020, was 8.0 per 100,000 population, with the highest rate among children aged <2 years (24.8). During March 21-July 25, weekly hospitalization rates steadily increased among children (from 0.1 to 0.4 per 100,000, with a weekly high of 0.7 per 100,000). Overall, Hispanic or Latino (Hispanic) and non-Hispanic black (black) children had higher cumulative rates of COVID-19-associated hospitalizations (16.4 and 10.5 per 100,000, respectively) than did non-Hispanic white (white) children (2.1). Among 208 (36.1%) hospitalized children with complete medical chart reviews, 69 (33.2%) were admitted to an intensive care unit (ICU); 12 of 207 (5.8%) required invasive mechanical ventilation, and one patient died during hospitalization. Although the cumulative rate of pediatric COVID-19-associated hospitalization remains low (8.0 per 100,000 population) compared with that among adults (164.5),* weekly rates increased during the surveillance period, and one in three hospitalized children were admitted to the ICU, similar to the proportion among adults. Continued tracking of SARS-CoV-2 infections among children is important to characterize morbidity and mortality. Reinforcement of prevention efforts is essential in congregate settings that serve children, including childcare centers and schools.