Black, Asian and Hispanic\u00a0children tested, treated for COVID-19\u00a0are faring significantly worse than other children in the pandemic, new study shows.
Black, Asian and Hispanic children tested and treated for COVID-19 are faring significantly worse than other children during the pandemic, according to a new and comprehensive analysis made by an organization representing seven of the nation’s largest pediatric medical centers. The disease also hits poor children and those with diabetes and cancer hardest, the analysis shows. Findings from the PEDSnet organization, which includes Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center and Nationwide Children’s Hospital in Columbus, were published Monday in JAMA Pediatrics. The report is based on electronic medical records data from more than 135,000 children who have been tested for infections from the SARS-CoV-2 virus from Jan.1 through Sept.8,2020. “These findings are important because they improve our understanding of the impact of COVID-19 in the pediatric population,” said Dr. Nathan Pajor, a pulmonary medicine specialist at Cincinnati Children’s and one of 18 co-authors of the study. “We see that relative to adults, kids are less likely to have severe disease or to die from COVID-19, » he said in a news release. « However, we also notice the disproportionately high rates of infection among Black, Asian and Hispanic children as a clear target of further study.” Other PEDSnet centers include Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia; Children’s Hospital of Colorado; Nemours Children’s Health System; Seattle Children’s Hospital; and, St. Louis Children’s Hospital. Combined, these centers provide care to about 2.5 million children a year. Highlights of their analysis include: “Further study is needed to understand the causes behind the variations in positivity rates,” said Pajor.
