Pediatrics – Public Health | Links Medicus Content Curation & Alerts in Medicine

"As SARS-CoV-2 remains predominantly a mild infection in the paediatric population, the incidence of long covid is a critical factor in the risk-benefit equation for policy and parental decisions on covid-19 vaccines for children," says Editorialhttps://t.co/POidCyS2RZ

— The BMJ (@bmj_latest) January 20, 2022

Systematic Review: School closures during social lockdown and mental health, health behaviors, and well-being among children and adolescents during the first Covid-19 wave.

19 Jan, 2022 | 09:00h | UTC

School Closures During Social Lockdown and Mental Health, Health Behaviors, and Well-being Among Children and Adolescents During the First COVID-19 Wave: A Systematic Review – JAMA Pediatrics

Editorial: Pandemic Recovery for Children—Beyond Reopening Schools – JAMA Pediatrics

Commentary: More Behavioral Issues Reported in Children When School Is Virtual – Psychiatric News Alert

M-A: Child and youth mental health problems have doubled during COVID-19.

Adolescents’ recreational screen time doubled during pandemic, affecting mental health.

More data on the harmful effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on the mental health of adolescents.

COVID has caused ‘mass trauma,’ worsening mental health globally.

COVID’s mental-health toll: how scientists are tracking a surge in depression

CDC Report: Mental health-related emergency department visits among children aged under 18 years raised during the COVID-19 Pandemic

WHO: COVID-19 disrupting mental health services in most countries

Commentary on Twitter (thread – click for more)

A systematic review in @JAMANetwork of 36 studies from 11 nations about school closures during the first Covid wave found that such closures were tied to adverse mental health symptoms (such as distress and anxiety) and health behaviors in kids. 1/3 https://t.co/invmjD73tQ pic.twitter.com/ReqriQl3g4

— Benjamin Ryan (@benryanwriter) January 18, 2022

Measures implemented in the school setting to contain the COVID‐19 pandemic: a rapid review.

18 Jan, 2022 | 09:54h | UTC

Measures implemented in the school setting to contain the COVID‐19 pandemic: a rapid review – Cochrane Library

News Release: Measures implemented in the school setting to contain the COVID-19 pandemic: a rapid review – Cochrane Library

Hospital admissions from childhood common infections were largely reduced in England during the pandemic due to control measures for Covid-19.

17 Jan, 2022 | 00:37h | UTC

Indirect effects of the covid-19 pandemic on childhood infection in England: population based observational study – The BMJ

Editorial: Covid-19 control measures and common paediatric infections – The BMJ

News Release: Dramatic fall in hospital admissions for child infections during first year of covid-19 pandemic – BMJ

5 years later, researchers assess how children exposed to Zika are developing.

14 Jan, 2022 | 07:53h | UTC

5 years later, researchers assess how children exposed to Zika are developing – NPR

Observational study in adolescents showed the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine had an overall effectiveness of 94% against hospitalization and 98% against critical Covid-19.

13 Jan, 2022 | 09:00h | UTC

Effectiveness of BNT162b2 Vaccine against Critical Covid-19 in Adolescents – New England Journal of Medicine

Editorial: Sparing of Severe Covid-19 in Vaccinated Adolescents – New England Journal of Medicine

The COVID generation: how is the pandemic affecting kids’ brains?

13 Jan, 2022 | 08:53h | UTC

The COVID generation: how is the pandemic affecting kids’ brains? – Nature

CDC Report: COVID-19 vaccine safety in children aged 5–11 Years.

9 Jan, 2022 | 01:09h | UTC

COVID-19 Vaccine Safety in Children Aged 5–11 Years — United States, November 3–December 19, 2021 – CDC Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report

Commentary: COVID-19 vaccine appears safe in children aged 5–11 Years – News Medical

Commentary on Twitter

Early vaccine safety data for children ages 5–11 years old found that reactions such as fatigue and headaches were commonly reported following Pfizer-BioNTech #COVID19 vaccine. Everyone ages 5 years & older should get vaccinated as soon as possible. https://t.co/D66QgLRWni pic.twitter.com/8I48L5GmcG

— MMWR (@CDCMMWR) December 30, 2021

New CDC Guidance shortens isolation and quarantine period for Covid-19; patients that tested positive should isolate for 5 days and, if asymptomatic after this period, can leave isolation if they can continue to mask for 5 days to minimize the risk of infecting others.

9 Jan, 2022 | 01:13h | UTC

CDC Updates and Shortens Recommended Isolation and Quarantine Period for General Population – Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Commentaries:

Facing criticism, CDC updates Covid-19 isolation recommendations with guidance on testing – CNN

CDC posts rationale for shorter isolation, quarantine – Associated Press

Covid-19: CDC shortens isolation period as US cases hit record high – The BMJ

Shortened CDC COVID isolation guide draws sharply mixed reviews – CIDRAP

New CDC isolation guidelines raise concerns among health experts – NPR

CDC Reduces Recommended Isolation Time for People With COVID-19 – HealthDay

COVID isolation and quarantine period for general population shortened by CDC – News Medical

CDC shortens recommended Covid-19 isolation and quarantine time – CNN

CDC cuts the recommended isolation and quarantine periods for coronavirus infections – NPR

US officials recommend shorter COVID isolation, quarantine – Associated Press

See new recommendations from other countries:

France cuts isolation times and plans crackdown on unvaccinated amid record surge in Covid cases – CNN

Covid: Self-isolation cut from 10 days to seven with negative tests – BBC

CDC Study: A test to stay strategy (allowing close contacts with masked COVID-19 exposures to remain in school) was very efficacious in preventing further school spread and allowed children to stay in the classroom as an alternative to home quarantine.

9 Jan, 2022 | 01:07h | UTC

Evaluation of Test to Stay Strategy on Secondary and Tertiary Transmission of SARS-CoV-2 in K–12 Schools — Lake County, Illinois, August 9–October 29, 2021 – CDC Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report

Related CDC Guidance:

What You Should Know About COVID-19 Testing in Schools – Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Science Brief: Transmission of SARS-CoV-2 in K-12 Schools and Early Care and Education Programs – Updated – Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Commentary: ‘Test-to-stay’ works to keep students in school safely, CDC director says – CNN

Instead of quarantine for Covid-exposed students, some schools are trying test-to-stay.

Cluster RCT: Daily contact testing of school-based contacts was non-inferior to self-isolation for control of COVID-19 transmission.

Kids are losing school days to quarantines. Here’s a way to keep them in classrooms – “Test-to-stay could dramatically reduce close contact quarantines”.

Opinion | Data from routine Covid testing can help schools stay open this year.

Commentary on Twitter

Although vaccination is the best way to protect against #COVID19 for those aged 5 and up, schools might consider Test to Stay strategy for allowing close contacts who are not fully vaccinated to remain in the classroom. Learn more in a new @CDCMMWR: https://t.co/3m64vomRDh. pic.twitter.com/AAENAdxJ1y

— CDC (@CDCgov) December 17, 2021

[Preprint] Risk of myocarditis following sequential COVID-19 vaccinations by age and sex.

9 Jan, 2022 | 01:05h | UTC

Risk of myocarditis following sequential COVID-19 vaccinations by age and sex – medRxiv

Commentary: An evaluation of the association between COVID vaccination and myocarditis in 42 million people aged 13 or older – News Medical

Note: this study is an updated analysis of a recent study published in Nature Medicine; see below:

Risks of myocarditis, pericarditis, and cardiac arrhythmias associated with COVID-19 vaccination vs. SARS-CoV-2 infection.

New AAP Guidance recommends routine HIV screening to all youth 15 years or older.

8 Jan, 2022 | 23:13h | UTC

Adolescents and Young Adults: The Pediatrician’s Role in HIV Testing and Pre- and Postexposure HIV Prophylaxis – Pediatrics

Commentary: Pediatricians Can Play Key Role in HIV Testing, Prophylaxis – HealthDay

RCT: Low-cost, easy to take antiretroviral treatment based on Dolutegravir as first- or second-Line therapy found to be non-inferior to standard care for treating HIV-1 infection in children.

8 Jan, 2022 | 23:07h | UTC

Dolutegravir as First- or Second-Line Treatment for HIV-1 Infection in Children – New England Journal of Medicine (link to abstract – $ for full-text)

Commentary: Easy-to-take medicine better at suppressing HIV in children – University College London

Commentaries on Twitter

Dolutegravir-based antiretroviral therapy was compared with standard care in children and adolescents starting first- or second-line therapy for HIV type 1 infection. Dolutegravir-based ART was superior to standard-care ART. https://t.co/PP0XaEVswO pic.twitter.com/pQvhjdXcUk

— NEJM (@NEJM) December 29, 2021

Visual Abstract: Dolutegravir as First- or Second-Line HIV Treatment in Children https://t.co/2RIg9uH2V1 pic.twitter.com/mDr1Z6l6CJ

— NEJM (@NEJM) January 4, 2022

Risks of myocarditis, pericarditis, and cardiac arrhythmias associated with COVID-19 vaccination vs. SARS-CoV-2 infection.

15 Dec, 2021 | 08:43h | UTC

Risks of myocarditis, pericarditis, and cardiac arrhythmias associated with COVID-19 vaccination or SARS-CoV-2 infection – Nature Medicine

News release: COVID-19 infection, more likely than vaccines, to cause rare cardiovascular complications – University of Oxford

Commentaries on Twitter

Hugely important work from @JuliaHCox and colleagues:

In people <40, Pfizer carries a much lower risk of myocarditis than either Moderna **or SARS-CoV-2 infection** (annotations added)https://t.co/wqRts3ALqy pic.twitter.com/fnn1T39h1b

— David Juurlink (@DavidJuurlink) December 14, 2021

A case series published in @NatureMedicine shows an increased risk of myocarditis after receiving the Astra-Zeneca-Oxford, Pfizer-BioNTech and the Moderna COVID-19 vaccines, but SARS-CoV-2 infection carried a greater risk of myocarditis. https://t.co/6y7pZlJN70 pic.twitter.com/cBlKz9sUkg

— Nature Portfolio (@NaturePortfolio) December 14, 2021

Just published @NatureMedicine
The most comprehensive assessment of the rare events of myocarditis, pericarditis, arrhythmias after COVID and AZ, mRNA vaccineshttps://t.co/0bEdMJSLXg pic.twitter.com/eC5JOx0CmG

— Eric Topol (@EricTopol) December 14, 2021

[Preprint] Risk of Hospitalization, severe disease, and mortality due to COVID-19 in children with SARS-CoV-2 infection in Germany – “overall hospitalization rate associated with SARS-CoV-2 infection was 35.9 per 10,000 children, ICU admission rate was 1.7 per 10,000 and case fatality was 0.09 per 10,000”.

8 Dec, 2021 | 10:18h | UTC

Risk of Hospitalization, severe disease, and mortality due to COVID-19 and PIMS-TS in children with SARS-CoV-2 infection in Germany – medRxiv

Editorial: COVID-19 vaccines for children – “Although it is true that most children experience asymptomatic or mild disease, some will get quite sick, and a small number will die. It’s why children are vaccinated against influenza, meningitis, chickenpox, and hepatitis”.

Review: Should children under 12 years of age be vaccinated against COVID-19?

Deaths in children and young people in England after SARS-CoV-2 infection during the first pandemic year – “In total, 99.995% of children and young people with a positive SARS-CoV-2 test survived”.

AAP Clinical Report | Tuberculosis Infection in Children and Adolescents.

2 Dec, 2021 | 09:58h | UTC

Tuberculosis Infection in Children and Adolescents: Testing and Treatment – Pediatrics

AAP Clinical Report: Promoting the participation of children and adolescents with disabilities in sports, recreation, and physical activity.

1 Dec, 2021 | 08:48h | UTC

Promoting the Participation of Children and Adolescents With Disabilities in Sports, Recreation, and Physical Activity – Pediatrics

Commentary on Twitter

Children with disabilities benefit from physical activity of all kinds. Now is the time to focus on the inclusion of children based on their strengths and abilities, according to a clinical report published by AAP in Pediatrics this week.https://t.co/zlL9aOGwUU

— American Academy of Pediatrics (@AmerAcadPeds) November 30, 2021

EMA recommends approval of Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine for children aged 5 to 11.

26 Nov, 2021 | 08:47h | UTC

Comirnaty COVID-19 vaccine: EMA recommends approval for children aged 5 to 11 – European Medicines Agency

RCT: Pfizer vaccine shows 90.7% efficacy for preventing Covid-19 in children 5 to 11 years of age.

What COVID vaccines for young kids could mean for the pandemic.

CDC advisers endorse Pfizer’s Covid-19 vaccine for kids 5-11.

FDA advisory panel recommends Pfizer Covid-19 vaccine be authorized for children ages 5 to 11.

Commentary on Twitter

‼️ EMA recommends approval of BioNTech/Pfizer’s #COVID19vaccine, Comirnaty, for children aged 5 to 11.

In this population, the dose of #Comirnaty will be lower than that used in people aged 12 and above.

Read the full press release: https://t.co/uqqBAklVvl pic.twitter.com/NZQhli4SDl

— EU Medicines Agency (@EMA_News) November 25, 2021