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

Background: 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.

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

Methods: 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).

Results: 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).

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