Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 RNAemia and Clinical Outcomes in Children With Coronavirus Disease 2019

Cameron Mertz; Rebecca Glowinski; Shira H Cohen; Sara Mertz; Fang Ye; Mark W Hall; Mark E Peeples; Tiffany King; Huanyu Wang; Amy L Leber; Pablo J Sanchez; Octavio Ramilo; Asuncion Mejias

doi:10.1093/infdis/jiab491

Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 RNAemia and Clinical Outcomes in Children With Coronavirus Disease 2019

J Infect Dis. 2022 Jan 18;225(2):208-213. doi: 10.1093/infdis/jiab491.

Authors

Cameron Mertz¹, Rebecca Glowinski¹, Shira H Cohen¹, Sara Mertz¹, Fang Ye¹, Mark W Hall², Mark E Peeples¹, Tiffany King¹, Huanyu Wang³, Amy L Leber³, Pablo J Sanchez^{4

5

6}, Octavio Ramilo^{1

6}, Asuncion Mejias^{1

6}

Affiliations

¹ Center for Vaccines and Immunity, The Abigail Wexner Research Institute at Nationwide Children's Hospital, and The Ohio State University College of Medicine, Columbus, Ohio, USA.
² Department of Pediatrics, Division of Critical Care Medicine, Nationwide Children's Hospital, and The Ohio State University College of Medicine, Columbus, Ohio, USA.
³ Department of Laboratory Medicine, Nationwide Children's Hospital, Columbus, Ohio, USA.
⁴ Center for Perinatal Research, The Abigail Wexner Research Institute at Nationwide Children's Hospital, and The Ohio State University College of Medicine, Columbus, Ohio, USA.
⁵ Department of Pediatrics, Division of Neonatology, Nationwide Children\'s Hospital and The Ohio State University College of Medicine, Columbus, Ohio, USA.
⁶ Division of Infectious Diseases, Nationwide Children's Hospital and The Ohio State University College of Medicine, Columbus, Ohio, USA.

Abstract

The burden of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in children represents a fraction of cases worldwide, yet a subset of those infected are at risk for severe disease. We measured plasma severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) RNA in a cohort of 103 children hospitalized with COVID-19 with diverse clinical manifestations. SARS-CoV-2 RNAemia was detected in 27 (26%) of these children, lasted for a median of 6 (interquartile range, 2-9) days, and was associated with higher rates of oxygen administration, admission to the intensive care unit, and longer hospitalization.

Keywords: COVID-19; RNAemia; SARS-CoV-2; children; disease severity; infants; outcomes; viremia.

Publication types

Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Adolescent
COVID-19 / diagnosis*
COVID-19 / epidemiology
COVID-19 Nucleic Acid Testing / methods*
Child
Child, Preschool
Female
Hospitalization
Humans
Infant
Intensive Care Units
Male
Nasopharynx / virology
RNA, Viral / genetics
SARS-CoV-2 / genetics
SARS-CoV-2 / isolation & purification*
Severity of Illness Index
Viremia / epidemiology

Substances

RNA, Viral

Abstract

Publication types

MeSH terms

Substances

Grants and funding