SARS-CoV-2 infection in newborn infants: descriptive epidemiological analysis of cases reported to the Colombian national surveillance system during the first pandemic year, March 2020-February 2021

Objective: To describe the clinical and epidemiological characteristics of newborn infants with SARS-CoV-2 infection notified in the Colombian Public Health Surveillance System.

Design: This epidemiological descriptive analysis was conducted using the data of all cases of newborn infants with confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection notified in the surveillance system. Absolute frequencies and central tendency measures were calculated and a bivariate analysis comparing variables of interest with symptomatic and asymptomatic disease was performed.

Setting: Population-based descriptive analysis.

Patients: Laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 cases in newborn infants (aged ≤28 days of life) reported to the surveillance system from 1 March 2020 to 28 February 2021.

Results: 879 newborns were identified, corresponding to 0.04% of all reported cases in the country. The mean age at diagnosis was 13 days (range 0-28 days), 55.1% were male and most (57.6%) were classified as symptomatic. Preterm birth and low birth weight were identified in 24.0% and 24.4% of the cases, respectively. Common symptoms were fever (58.3%), cough (48.3%) and respiratory distress (34.9%). A higher prevalence of symptomatic newborns was seen in individuals with low birth weight for gestational age (prevalence ratio (PR): 1.51, 95% CI: 1.44 to 1.59) and newborns with underlying conditions (PR: 1.33, 95% CI: 1.13 to 1.55).

Conclusions: There were a low proportion of confirmed COVID-19 cases in the newborn population. A substantial number of newborns were classified as symptomatic, having low birth weight and being preterm. Clinicians caring for COVID-19-infected newborns should be aware of population characteristics that potentially contribute to disease manifestations and severity.