July 9, 2021

three new preprints on risks for severe disease and death from SARS-CoV-2 in children and young people

Identification of which children and young people are at higher risk from COVID-19 and PIMS-TS is central to education, shielding and vaccination policy for children in every country. These issues have been important throughout the pandemic – but particularly so now as many countries begin to consider vaccination for children.

Three new preprints have been posted this week which provide novel data on risks for severe disease and death from SARS-CoV-2 in children and young people. Two of the studies draw upon linked national datasets in England – providing a unique comprehensive national view of risks from a large country with a high prevalence of infection, whilst the third provides an individual-patient meta-analysis of the published literature on risks for severe disease and death.

Please note that these three studies are preprints, so they are early work that has not yet been through peer-review and is not published in a journal.

Journalists dialled in to hear the authors present their results and answer any questions.

Speakers included:

Prof Russell Viner, Professor of Child and Adolescent Health, UCL

Dr Liz Whittaker, Clinical Lecturer and Consultant Paediatric Infectious Diseases and Immunology, Imperial College London

Prof Lorna Fraser, Professor of Epidemiology, University of York

Dr Clare Smith, Paediatric Registrar, University of Bristol

Dr Joseph Ward, MRC Clinical Training Fellow, UCL Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health

Dr Rachel Harwood, Paediatric Surgical Registrar, Alder Hey