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(Rutherford Appleton Laboratory), Michael Whitaker(Rutherford Appleton Laboratory), Alissa O’Halloran(Rutherford Appleton Laboratory), Anita Kambhampati(Rutherford Appleton Laboratory), Shua J. Chai(Rutherford Appleton Laboratory), Arthur Reingold(Rutherford Appleton Laboratory), Isaac Armistead(Rutherford Appleton Laboratory), Breanna Kawasaki(Rutherford Appleton Laboratory), James Meek(Rutherford Appleton Laboratory), Kimberly Yousey‐Hindes(Rutherford Appleton Laboratory), Evan J. Anderson(Rutherford Appleton Laboratory), Kyle P. Openo(Rutherford Appleton Laboratory), Andy Weigel(Rutherford Appleton Laboratory), Patricia Ryan(Rutherford Appleton Laboratory), Maya Monroe(Rutherford Appleton Laboratory), Kimberly Fox(Rutherford Appleton Laboratory), Sue Kim(Rutherford Appleton Laboratory), Ruth Lynfield(Rutherford Appleton Laboratory), Erica Bye(Rutherford Appleton Laboratory), Sarah Shrum Davis(Rutherford Appleton Laboratory), Chad Smelser(Rutherford Appleton Laboratory), Grant Barney(Rutherford Appleton Laboratory), Nancy Spina(Rutherford Appleton Laboratory), Nancy M. Bennett(Rutherford Appleton Laboratory), Christina B. Felsen(Rutherford Appleton Laboratory), Laurie M. Billing(Rutherford Appleton Laboratory), Jessica Shiltz(Rutherford Appleton Laboratory), Melissa Sutton(Rutherford Appleton Laboratory), Nicole West(Rutherford Appleton Laboratory), H. Keipp Talbot(Rutherford Appleton Laboratory), William Schaffner(Rutherford Appleton Laboratory), Ilene Risk(Rutherford Appleton Laboratory), Andrea Price(Rutherford Appleton Laboratory), Lynnette Brammer(Rutherford Appleton Laboratory), Alicia M. Fry(Rutherford Appleton Laboratory), Aron J. Hall(Rutherford Appleton Laboratory), Gayle Langley(Rutherford Appleton Laboratory), Shikha Garg(Rutherford Appleton Laboratory), COVID-NET Surveillance Team, COVID-NET Surveillance Team, Ashley Coates, Pam Daily Kirley, Tanya Libby, Jeremy Roland, Nisha B. Alden(Rutherford Appleton Laboratory), Rachel Herlihy, Sarah McLafferty, Paula Clogher, Hazal Kayalioglu, Amber Maslar, Adam Misiorski, Linda M. Niccolai(Rutherford Appleton Laboratory), Danyel Olson, Christina Parisi, Emily Fawcett, Siyeh Gretzinger(Rutherford Appleton Laboratory), Katelyn Lengacher, Jeremiah Williams(Rutherford Appleton Laboratory), David Blythe, Alicia Brooks, Rachel Park, Michelle Wilson, Kathryn Como‐Sabetti, Richard Danila, Cory Cline(Rutherford Appleton Laboratory), Kathy Angeles, Nancy Eisenberg(Rutherford Appleton Laboratory), Kristina Flores, Caroline Habrun(Rutherford Appleton Laboratory), 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(Rutherford Appleton Laboratory), Tiffanie Markus(Rutherford Appleton Laboratory), Ryan Chatelain(Rutherford Appleton Laboratory), Andrea George, Mary Hill, Laine McCullough, Melanie Spencer, Ashley Swain, Keegan McCaffrey, Rachel Holstein, Seth Meador, Jonathan M. Wortham
MMWR Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report
August 7, 2020
10.15585/mmwr.mm6932e3
Cited by 530Open Access
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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.

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