Dataset Information

Assessment of Clinical Outcomes Among Children and Adolescents Hospitalized With COVID-19 in 6 Sub-Saharan African Countries.

ABSTRACT:

Importance

Little is known about COVID-19 outcomes among children and adolescents in sub-Saharan Africa, where preexisting comorbidities are prevalent.

Objective

To assess the clinical outcomes and factors associated with outcomes among children and adolescents hospitalized with COVID-19 in 6 countries in sub-Saharan Africa.

Design, setting, and participants

This cohort study was a retrospective record review of data from 25 hospitals in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria, South Africa, and Uganda from March 1 to December 31, 2020, and included 469 hospitalized patients aged 0 to 19 years with SARS-CoV-2 infection.

Exposures

Age, sex, preexisting comorbidities, and region of residence.

Main outcomes and measures

An ordinal primary outcome scale was used comprising 5 categories: (1) hospitalization without oxygen supplementation, (2) hospitalization with oxygen supplementation, (3) ICU admission, (4) invasive mechanical ventilation, and (5) death. The secondary outcome was length of hospital stay.

Results

Among 469 hospitalized children and adolescents, the median age was 5.9 years (IQR, 1.6-11.1 years); 245 patients (52.4%) were male, and 115 (24.5%) had comorbidities. A total of 39 patients (8.3%) were from central Africa, 172 (36.7%) from eastern Africa, 208 (44.3%) from southern Africa, and 50 (10.7%) from western Africa. Eighteen patients had suspected (n = 6) or confirmed (n = 12) multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children. Thirty-nine patients (8.3%) died, including 22 of 69 patients (31.9%) who required intensive care unit admission and 4 of 18 patients (22.2%) with suspected or confirmed multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children. Among 468 patients, 418 (89.3%) were discharged, and 16 (3.4%) remained hospitalized. The likelihood of outcomes with higher vs lower severity among children younger than 1 year expressed as adjusted odds ratio (aOR) was 4.89 (95% CI, 1.44-16.61) times higher than that of adolescents aged 15 to 19 years. The presence of hypertension (aOR, 5.91; 95% CI, 1.89-18.50), chronic lung disease (aOR, 2.97; 95% CI, 1.65-5.37), or a hematological disorder (aOR, 3.10; 95% CI, 1.04-9.24) was associated with severe outcomes. Age younger than 1 year (adjusted subdistribution hazard ratio [asHR], 0.48; 95% CI, 0.27-0.87), the presence of 1 comorbidity (asHR, 0.54; 95% CI, 0.40-0.72), and the presence of 2 or more comorbidities (asHR, 0.26; 95% CI, 0.18-0.38) were associated with reduced rates of hospital discharge.

Conclusions and relevance

In this cohort study of children and adolescents hospitalized with COVID-19 in sub-Saharan Africa, high rates of morbidity and mortality were observed among infants and patients with noncommunicable disease comorbidities, suggesting that COVID-19 vaccination and therapeutic interventions are needed for young populations in this region.

SUBMITTER: Nachega JB

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8771438 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Publications

Assessment of Clinical Outcomes Among Children and Adolescents Hospitalized With COVID-19 in 6 Sub-Saharan African Countries.

Nachega Jean B JB Sam-Agudu Nadia A NA Machekano Rhoderick N RN Rabie Helena H van der Zalm Marieke M MM Redfern Andrew A Dramowski Angela A O'Connell Natasha N Pipo Michel Tshiasuma MT Tshilanda Marc B MB Byamungu Liliane Nsuli LN Masekela Refiloe R Jeena Prakash Mohan PM Pillay Ashendri A Gachuno Onesmus W OW Kinuthia John J Ishoso Daniel Katuashi DK Amoako Emmanuella E Agyare Elizabeth E Agbeno Evans K EK Martyn-Dickens Charles C Sylverken Justice J Enimil Anthony A Jibril Aishatu Mohammed AM Abdullahi Asara M AM Amadi Oma O Umar Umar Mohammed UM Sigwadhi Lovemore Nyasha LN Hermans Michel P MP Otokoye John Otshudiema JO Mbala-Kingebeni Placide P Muyembe-Tamfum Jean-Jacques JJ Zumla Alimuddin A Sewankambo Nelson K NK Aanyu Hellen Tukamuhebwa HT Musoke Philippa P Suleman Fatima F Adejumo Prisca P Noormahomed Emilia V EV Deckelbaum Richard J RJ Fowler Mary Glenn MG Tshilolo Léon L Smith Gerald G Mills Edward J EJ Umar Lawal W LW Siedner Mark J MJ Kruger Mariana M Rosenthal Philip J PJ Mellors John W JW Mofenson Lynne M LM

JAMA pediatrics 20220307 3

<h4>Importance</h4>Little is known about COVID-19 outcomes among children and adolescents in sub-Saharan Africa, where preexisting comorbidities are prevalent.<h4>Objective</h4>To assess the clinical outcomes and factors associated with outcomes among children and adolescents hospitalized with COVID-19 in 6 countries in sub-Saharan Africa.<h4>Design, setting, and participants</h4>This cohort study was a retrospective record review of data from 25 hospitals in the Democratic Republic of the Congo ...[more]

PMID: 35044430

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Dataset Information

Assessment of Clinical Outcomes Among Children and Adolescents Hospitalized With COVID-19 in 6 Sub-Saharan African Countries.

Importance

Objective

Design, setting, and participants

Exposures

Main outcomes and measures

Results

Conclusions and relevance

Publications

Assessment of Clinical Outcomes Among Children and Adolescents Hospitalized With COVID-19 in 6 Sub-Saharan African Countries.

Similar Datasets

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