Racial, ethnic and socioeconomic disparities in SARS-CoV-2 infection amongst children.

BACKGROUND: COVID-19 disproportionately affects racial and ethnic minority populations, but comparatively few epidemiologic studies have been performed on children as compared to adults. OBJECTIVES: To characterise factors associated with SARS-CoV-2 infections amongst children from Chicago, Illinois, USA. METHODS: A test-negative case-control study of children tested for SARS-CoV-2 (0-18 years) at three medical centres of the Rush University System for Health between 12 March and 7 December 2020 was conducted. Of 8462 children, 1,302 tested positive by real-time PCR or rapid (NAAT) testing. Infection with SARS-CoV-2 was analysed as the outcome variable; effects of predictors were assessed by logistic regression analysis. A Paediatric Risk Score Index with a concordance index of 72% of accuracy was created to predict SARS-CoV-2 infection. RESULTS: The median age of cases was 13 years. On multivariable analysis, factors associated with SARS-CoV-2 infection were being Hispanic/Latinx (odds ratio [OR] 2.45, 95% CI 1.99, 3.03); Black/African-American (OR 1.31, 95% CI 1.03, 1.66); overweight/obese (OR 1.27, 95% CI 1.02, 1.58); older age, 10-14 years (OR 1.70, 95% CI 1.39, 2.08), 15-18 years (OR 2.06, 95% CI 1.71, 2.47); from households with income <$50,000 (OR 1.36, 95% CI 1.17, 1.60); or residing in predominantly minority neighbourhoods (OR 1.45, 95% CI 1.17, 1.80). Infections were higher during the second "fall" wave (5 October 2020 onward) compared with the first "spring" wave (OR 2.30, 95% CI 2.01, 2.63). Within Chicago, racial/ethnic minority neighbourhoods had striking positivity rates, as high as 39% in majority Hispanic/Latinx West Lawn neighbourhood. In suburban Chicago, highest positivity rates (20%-28%) were in zip codes within Hispanic/Latinx communities. CONCLUSIONS: Infection with SARS-CoV-2 is more likely amongst children of Hispanic/Latinx ethnicity, Black/African-American race, aged 10-18 years, who are overweight/obese, from lower income households, and from minority neighbourhoods. Future studies should focus on the prevention of COVID-19 infection in children of highest risk.

COVID-19 and Diabetes: An Epidemiologic Overview.

Past literature on the development of type 1 diabetes (T1D) and type 2 diabetes (T2D) has emphasized the influence of exogenous factors, including viral infections, in the development of these conditions. The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic again highlighted the complicated connection between viral infection and the development of diabetes. The complex interplay of proinflammatory, genetic, and socioeconomic factors can help explain the increased incidence of T1D and T2D during the pandemic. Proposed pathophysiological mechanisms connecting severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) to T1D include the expression of angiotensin enzyme 2 receptors on pancreatic islet cells, resultant proinflammatory states, and potential transient damage caused by viral entry. The intricate web of genetic factors, social determinants of health (including the rise of obesity), and the impact of proinflammatory states during SARS-CoV-2 infection on insulin resistance suggests mechanisms linking SARS-CoV-2 infection to the development of diabetes. [Pediatr Ann. 2024;53(7):e258-e263.].

Assessing the Concordance of MRSA Carriage Screening With MRSA Infections.

OBJECTIVES: This study focused on children with confirmed methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) infections to determine MRSA screening utility in guiding empirical anti-MRSA treatment of children without history of MRSA infection. We examined the concordance of screens to assess differences by infection type and used statistical analysis to determine significant contributors to concordance. METHODS: Pediatric hospital patients admitted from 2002 through 2022 were included. Subjects had MRSA infections subsequent to MRSA surveillance screens performed the preceding year. Statistical analysis identified associations between MRSA screens and infections. Number needed to treat analysis calculated the utility of rescreening. RESULTS: Among 246 subjects, 39.0% had concordant screens; 151 (61.4%) screens were obtained in the 2 weeks preceding infection. Sensitivity for bacteremia was 50.0% (n = 42), for endotracheal/respiratory 44.4% (n = 81), and 29.4% (n = 102) for skin and soft-tissue infection. For children aged younger than 6 months, sensitivity was 35.9% (n = 78). Multivariable analysis significantly associated days since screening with decreasing likelihood of concordance. Regression modeled the probability of concordance to drop below 50.0% for all infections after 4 days, after 6 days for bacteremia specifically, and 12 days for endotracheal/respiratory infections. CONCLUSIONS: The concordance of screens was far lower than negative predictive values found previously; earlier studies were possibly impacted by low prevalence and exclusion of children at high risk to inform high negative predictive values. We suggest that negative MRSA screens should not invalidate reasonable suspicion for MRSA infection in patients with high pretest probabilities.

Characteristics of Hospitalized Pediatric Coronavirus Disease 2019 Cases in Chicago, Illinois, March-April 2020.

BACKGROUND: To date, no report on coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pediatric patients in a large urban center with data on underlying comorbidities and coinfection for hospitalized cases has been published. METHODS: This was a case series of Chicago COVID-19 patients aged 0-17 years reported to the Chicago Department of Public Health (CDPH) from March 5 to April 8, 2020. Enhanced case investigation was performed. χ 2 and Wilcoxon 2-sample tests were used to compare characteristics among hospitalized and nonhospitalized cases. RESULTS: During March 5-April 8, 2020, 6369 laboratory-confirmed cases of COVID-19 were reported to CDPH; 64 (1.0%) were among children aged 0-17 years. Ten patients (16%) were hospitalized, and 7 (70%) required intensive care (median length of hospitalization, 4 days [range, 1-14 days]). Reported fever and dyspnea were significantly higher in hospitalized patients than in nonhospitalized patients (9/10 vs 28/54, P = .04 and 7/10 vs 10/54, P = .002, respectively). Hospitalized patients were significantly younger than nonhospitalized patients (median, 3.5 years vs 12 years; P = .03) and all either had an underlying comorbidity or coinfection. Among the 34 unique households with multiple laboratory-confirmed infections, the median number of laboratory-confirmed infections was 2 (range, 2-5), and 31 (91%) households had at least 1 COVID-19-infected adult. For 15 households with available data to assess transmission, 11 (73%) were adult-to-child, 2 (13%) child-to-child, and 2 (13%) child-to-adult. CONCLUSIONS: Enhanced case investigation of hospitalized patients revealed that underlying comorbidities and coinfection might have contributed to severe disease. Given frequency of household transmission, healthcare providers should consider alternative dispositional planning for affected families of children living with comorbidities.