The hidden severity of the COVID-19 pandemic in children and adolescents in Brazil: a territorial analysis of hospital mortality. / A gravidade oculta da pandemia de COVID-19 em crianças e adolescentes no Brasil: uma análise territorial da mortalidade hospitalar.

This article aims to describe the geographical distribution of hospital mortality from COVID-19 in children and adolescents during the 2020-2021 pandemic in Brazil. Ecological, census study (SIVEP GRIPE) with individuals up to 19 years of age, hospitalized with SARS due to COVID-19 or SARS not specified in Brazilian municipalities, stratified in two ways: 1) in the five macro-regions and 2) in three urban agglomerations: capital, municipalities of the metropolitan region and non-capital municipalities. There were 44 hospitalizations/100,000 inhabitants due to COVID-19 and 241/100,000 when including unspecified SARS (estimated underreporting of 81.8%). There were 1,888 deaths by COVID-19 and 4,471 deaths if added to unspecified SARS, estimating 57.8% of unreported deaths. Hospital mortality was 2.3 times higher in the macro-regions when considering only the cases of COVID-19, with the exception of the North and Center-West regions. Higher hospital mortality was also recorded in non-capital municipalities. The urban setting was associated with higher SARS hospital mortality during the COVID-19 pandemic in Brazil. Living in the North and Northeast macro-regions, and far from the capitals offered a higher risk of mortality for children and adolescents who required hospitalization.

O objetivo deste artigo é descrever a distribuição geográfica da mortalidade hospitalar por COVID-19 em crianças e adolescentes durante a pandemia de 2020-2021 no Brasil. Estudo ecológico, censitário (SIVEP GRIPE), de indivíduos até 19 anos, internados com SRAG por COVID-19 ou SRAG não especificada, em municípios brasileiros, estratificados de duas formas: 1) nas cinco macrorregiões e 2) em três aglomerados urbanos: capital, municípios da região metropolitana e do interior. Verificou-se 44 internações/100 mil habitantes por COVID-19 e 241/100 mil ao se incluir a SRAG não especificada (subnotificação estimada de 81,8%). Ocorreram1.888 óbitos por COVID-19 e 4.471 óbitos se somados à SRAG não especificada, estimando-se subnotificação de 57,8% dos óbitos. A mortalidade hospitalar foi 2,3 vezes maior nas macrorregiões quando considerados apenas os casos de COVID-19, com exceção das regiões Norte e Centro-Oeste. Registrou-se também maior mortalidade hospitalar em municípios do interior. O contexto urbano esteve associado à maior mortalidade hospitalar por SRAG durante a pandemia de COVID-19 no Brasil. Residir nas macrorregiões Norte e Nordeste, e distante das capitais, ofereceu maior risco de mortalidade para crianças e adolescentes que necessitaram hospitalização.

Hospital mortality from covid-19 in children and adolescents in Brazil in 2020-2021.

OBJECTIVE: To describe cases, deaths, and hospital mortality from covid-19 in children and adolescents in Brazil, according to age group, during the evolving phases of the pandemic in 2020 and 2021. METHODS: Census of patients aged up to 19 committed with severe acute respiratory syndrome, due to covid-19 or unspecified, notified to the Brazilian Influenza Epidemiological Surveillance Information System, from January 1, 2020, to December 31, 2021. The two years were divided into six phases, covering the spread of the disease-first, second and third wave-as well as the impact of vaccination. The pediatric population was categorized into infants, preschoolers, schoolchildren, and adolescents. Hospital mortality was assessed by pandemic phase and age group. RESULTS: A total of 144,041 patients were recorded in the two years, 18.2% of whom had confirmed cases of covid-19. Children under 5 years old (infants and preschoolers) accounted for 62.8% of those hospitalized. A total of 4,471 patients died, representing about 6.1 deaths per day. Infants were the ones who most progressed to the intensive care unit (24.7%) and had the highest gross number of deaths (n = 2,012), but mortality was higher among adolescents (5.7%), reaching 9.8% in phase 1. The first peak of deaths occurred in phase 1 (May/2020), and two other peaks occurred in phase 4 (March/2021 and May/2021). There was an increase in cases and deaths for younger ages since phase 4. Hospital mortality in the pediatric population was higher in phases 1, 4, and 6, following the phenomena of dissemination/interiorization of the virus in the country, beginning of the second wave and beginning of the third wave, respectively. CONCLUSION: The absolute number of cases of covid-19 in children and adolescents is significant. Although complete vaccination in descending order of age provided a natural deviation in age range, there was a greater gap between the curve of new hospitalized cases and the curve of deaths, indicating the positive impact of immunization.

Hospital mortality from covid-19 in children and adolescents in Brazil in 2020-2021 / Mortalidade hospitalar por covid-19 em crianças e adolescentes no Brasil em 2020-2021

ABSTRACT OBJECTIVE To describe cases, deaths, and hospital mortality from covid-19 in children and adolescents in Brazil, according to age group, during the evolving phases of the pandemic in 2020 and 2021. METHODS Census of patients aged up to 19 committed with severe acute respiratory syndrome, due to covid-19 or unspecified, notified to the Brazilian Influenza Epidemiological Surveillance Information System, from January 1, 2020, to December 31, 2021. The two years were divided into six phases, covering the spread of the disease—first, second and third wave—as well as the impact of vaccination. The pediatric population was categorized into infants, preschoolers, schoolchildren, and adolescents. Hospital mortality was assessed by pandemic phase and age group. RESULTS A total of 144,041 patients were recorded in the two years, 18.2% of whom had confirmed cases of covid-19. Children under 5 years old (infants and preschoolers) accounted for 62.8% of those hospitalized. A total of 4,471 patients died, representing about 6.1 deaths per day. Infants were the ones who most progressed to the intensive care unit (24.7%) and had the highest gross number of deaths (n = 2,012), but mortality was higher among adolescents (5.7%), reaching 9.8% in phase 1. The first peak of deaths occurred in phase 1 (May/2020), and two other peaks occurred in phase 4 (March/2021 and May/2021). There was an increase in cases and deaths for younger ages since phase 4. Hospital mortality in the pediatric population was higher in phases 1, 4, and 6, following the phenomena of dissemination/interiorization of the virus in the country, beginning of the second wave and beginning of the third wave, respectively. CONCLUSION The absolute number of cases of covid-19 in children and adolescents is significant. Although complete vaccination in descending order of age provided a natural deviation in age range, there was a greater gap between the curve of new hospitalized cases and the curve of deaths, indicating the positive impact of immunization.

RESUMO OBJETIVO Descrever casos, óbitos e mortalidade hospitalar por covid-19 em crianças e adolescentes no Brasil, conforme faixa etária, durante as fases de evolução da pandemia em 2020 e 2021. MÉTODOS Censo de pacientes de até 19 anos internados com síndrome respiratória aguda grave, por covid-19 ou não especificada, notificados ao Sistema de Informação de Vigilância Epidemiológica da Gripe do Brasil, entre 1 de janeiro de 2020 e 31 de dezembro de 2021. Os dois anos foram divididos em seis fases, abrangendo a disseminação da doença − primeira, segunda e terceira onda −, bem como o impacto da vacinação. A população pediátrica foi categorizada em lactentes, pré-escolares, escolares e adolescentes. A mortalidade hospitalar foi avaliada por fase da pandemia e faixa etária. RESULTADOS Foram contabilizados 144.041 pacientes nos dois anos, sendo 18,2% casos de covid-19 confirmados. Menores de 5 anos (lactentes e pré-escolares) corresponderam a 62,8% dos hospitalizados. Evoluíram a óbito 4.471, representando cerca 6,1 óbitos por dia. Os lactentes foram os que mais evoluíram para unidade de terapia intensiva (24,7%) e apresentaram o maior número bruto de óbito (n = 2.012), porém a mortalidade foi maior entre os adolescentes (5,7%), chegando a 9,8% na fase 1. O primeiro pico de óbitos ocorreu na fase 1 (maio/2020), e outros dois picos ocorreram na fase 4 (março/2021 e maio/2021). Verificou-se avanço de casos e óbitos para as idades inferiores desde a fase 4. A mortalidade hospitalar na população pediátrica foi maior nas fases 1, 4 e 6, acompanhando os fenômenos de disseminação/interiorização do vírus no país, início da segunda onda e início da terceira onda, respectivamente. CONCLUSÃO O número absoluto de casos de covid-19 em crianças e adolescentes é expressivo. Embora a vacinação completa em ordem decrescente de idade tenha proporcionado um desvio natural de faixa etária, ocorreu um distanciamento maior entre a curva de novos casos hospitalizados e a curva de óbitos, indicando o impacto positivo da imunização.

A gravidade oculta da pandemia de COVID-19 em crianças e adolescentes no Brasil sob uma perspectiva tempo-espacial / The hidden severity of the covid-19 pandemic in children and adolescents in Brazil from a time-spatial perspective

Introdução: A covid-19 foi declarada como pandemia pela Organização Mundial de Saúde em março de 2020 e, ainda no primeiro semestre da pandemia, o Brasil alcançou o segundo lugar no número total de óbitos acumulados no mundo. Crianças e adolescentes, incialmente, foram os menos atingidos pela covid-19, contudo, a notificação de casos de Síndrome Respiratória Aguda Grave (SRAG) encontrou-se elevada neste grupo. Tem-se por objetivo geral neste estudo: Descrever a mortalidade hospitalar de crianças e adolescentes hospitalizados com SRAG por covid-19 e SRAG não especificado no Brasil, segundo as características sociodemográficas e clínicas, durante a pandemia da covid-19 no território brasileiro em 2020-2021. Objetivos específicos: a) Descrever casos, óbitos e mortalidade hospitalar por covid-19 em crianças e adolescentes no Brasil, conforme faixas etárias, durante as fases de evolução da pandemia em 2020-2021; b) Descrever a distribuição geográfica da mortalidade hospitalar por covid-19 em crianças e adolescentes, entre as cinco macrorregiões geopolíticas, e entre os três tipos de aglomerados urbanos: capitais, municípios pertencentes às regiões metropolitanas e municípios do interior das Unidades Federativas do Brasil, durante a pandemia nos anos 2020 e 2021. Metodologia: Censo de pacientes até 19 anos, internados com SRAG por covid-19 ou SRAG não especificado, notificados ao Sistema de Informação de Vigilância Epidemiológica da Gripe do Brasil, entre 01/01/2020 e 31/12/2021. Optou-se metodologicamente por atribuir o SRAG não especificado como latente subnotificação da covid-19. A mortalidade hospitalar foi o desfecho principal, avaliado por meio de duas abordagens: transversal e ecológica. Resultados: Totalizaram 144.041 pacientes nos dois anos, sendo 18,2% covid-19 confirmados. Menores de 5 anos (lactentes e pré-escolares) corresponderam a 62,8% dos hospitalizados. Evoluíram a óbito 4.471 pacientes, representando cerca 6,1 óbitos por dia. Verificou-se no âmbito nacional subnotificação de 81,8% de casos e 57,8% dos óbitos com grande variação entre as regiões. Os lactentes foram os que mais evoluíram para UTI (24,7%) e apresentaram o maior número bruto de óbito (n=2.012), porém, a mortalidade foi maior entre os adolescentes (5,7%). A mortalidade hospitalar na população pediátrica foi maior na primeira, quarta e sexta fases da covid-19. A mortalidade hospitalar foi mais que o dobro nas macrorregiões brasileiras quando considerados apenas os casos de covid-19, em relação aos que incluíram a SRAG não especificada, com exceção das regiões Norte e Centro-oeste. Registrou-se também maior mortalidade hospitalar em municípios do interior, destacando-se Região Norte e Nordeste. Conclusão: O contexto urbano, as faixas etárias e as fases da pandemia estiveram associadas à mortalidade hospitalar por SRAG durante a pandemia de covid-19 no Brasil.

Introduction: Covid-19 was declared a pandemic by the World Health Organization in March 2020, and even in the first half of the pandemic, Brazil has achieved second place in the total number of cumulative deaths worldwide. Children and adolescents, initially, were the least affected by covid-19, however, the notification of cases of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) was found to be high in this group. The overall objective of this study was to describe in-hospital mortality of children and adolescents hospitalized with SARS due to covid-19 and unspecified SARS in Brazil, according to sociodemographic and clinical characteristics, during the covid-19 pandemic in the Brazilian territory in 2020-2021. Specific objectives: a) Describe cases, deaths and hospital mortality for covid-19 in children and adolescents in Brazil, according to age groups, during the pandemic evolution phases in 2020-2021; b) Describe the geographical distribution of hospital mortality for covid-19 in children and adolescents, among the five geopolitical macro-regions, and among the three types of urban agglomerations: capital cities, municipalities belonging to metropolitan regions and inland municipalities of the Federative Units of Brazil, during the pandemic in the years 2020 and 2021. Methodology: Census of patients up to 19 years of age, hospitalized with SARS by covid-19 or unspecified SARS, reported to the Brazilian Influenza Epidemiological Surveillance Information System, between 01/01/2020 and 31/12/2021. We methodologically chose to attribute unspecified SARS as latent underreporting of covid-19. Hospital mortality was the primary outcome, assessed using two approaches: cross-sectional and ecological. Results: A total of 144,041 patients were enrolled in the two years, with 18.2% confirmed covid-19. Children under 5 years of age (infants and preschoolers) accounted for 62.8% of those hospitalized. A total of 4,471 patients died, representing about 6.1 deaths per day. Nationwide, 81.8% of cases and 57.8% of deaths were underreported, with great variation among the regions. Infants were those who evolved most often to the ICU (24.7%) and presented the highest gross number of deaths (n=2,012), but mortality was higher among adolescents (5.7%). In-hospital mortality in the pediatric population was highest in the first, fourth, and sixth stages of covid-19. Hospital mortality was more than double in the Brazilian macro-regions when considering only the cases of covid-19 compared to those that included unspecified SARS, with the exception of the Northern and Midwestern regions. Higher hospital mortality was also recorded in inland municipalities, especially in the North and Northeast regions. Conclusion: Urban settings, age groups, and pandemic phases were associated with SARS hospital mortality during the covid-19 pandemic in Brazil.