Burden of Pediatric SARS-CoV-2 Hospitalizations during the Omicron Wave in Germany
(1) Background: When the Omicron variant of SARS-CoV-2 first emerged in Germany in January 2022, data on related disease severity among children and adolescents were not yet available. Given Omicron’s high transmissibility, the ability to assess its impact on admission and hospitalization rates in c...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2022-09-01
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| Series: | Viruses |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/1999-4915/14/10/2102 |
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| author | Maren Doenhardt Christin Gano Anna-Lisa Sorg Natalie Diffloth Tobias Tenenbaum Rüdiger von Kries Reinhard Berner Jakob P. Armann |
| author_facet | Maren Doenhardt Christin Gano Anna-Lisa Sorg Natalie Diffloth Tobias Tenenbaum Rüdiger von Kries Reinhard Berner Jakob P. Armann |
| author_sort | Maren Doenhardt |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | (1) Background: When the Omicron variant of SARS-CoV-2 first emerged in Germany in January 2022, data on related disease severity among children and adolescents were not yet available. Given Omicron’s high transmissibility, the ability to assess its impact on admission and hospitalization rates in children’s hospitals is critical for the purpose of understanding the scope of its burden on the German healthcare system. (2) Methods: From 24 January 2022 to 31 July 2022, SARS-CoV-2 cases admitted to German pediatric hospitals were monitored via a national, clinician-led reporting system (CLRS) established by the German Society for Pediatric Infectious Diseases (DGPI). Cases treated on general wards and intensive care units, as well as patient age and the need for respiratory support, were recorded. (3) Results: From January to July 2022, a median of 1.7 cases (range 0.4–3) per reporting pediatric hospital per day was hospitalized in general wards, whereas a median of 0.1 cases (range 0–0.4 cases) was admitted to intensive care units. Of all hospitalized patients, 4.2% received respiratory support. (4) Conclusions: Despite the high incidence rates documented in connection with the Omicron variant in early 2022, the number of pediatric hospital admissions, and especially the number of cases with the need for intensive care treatment and respiratory support due to symptomatic SARS-CoV-2 infection, remained relatively low. Higher Omicron incidence rates had only a modest impact on SARS-CoV-2-related admissions and hospitalization in German children’s hospitals. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-09T19:23:51Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-4b9cf35fa628404a926a44e0477bee06 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1999-4915 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-09T19:23:51Z |
| publishDate | 2022-09-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Viruses |
| spelling | doaj.art-4b9cf35fa628404a926a44e0477bee062023-11-24T03:07:28ZengMDPI AGViruses1999-49152022-09-011410210210.3390/v14102102Burden of Pediatric SARS-CoV-2 Hospitalizations during the Omicron Wave in GermanyMaren Doenhardt0Christin Gano1Anna-Lisa Sorg2Natalie Diffloth3Tobias Tenenbaum4Rüdiger von Kries5Reinhard Berner6Jakob P. Armann7Department of Pediatrics, University Hospital and Medical Faculty Carl Gustav Carus, Technische Universität Dresden, 01307 Dresden, GermanyDepartment of Pediatrics, University Hospital and Medical Faculty Carl Gustav Carus, Technische Universität Dresden, 01307 Dresden, GermanyDivision of Pediatric Epidemiology, Institute of Social Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich, 80336 München, GermanyDepartment of Pediatrics, University Hospital and Medical Faculty Carl Gustav Carus, Technische Universität Dresden, 01307 Dresden, GermanyClinic for Child and Adolescent Medicine, Sana Klinikum Lichtenberg, Academic Teaching Hospital, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, 10365 Berlin, GermanyDivision of Pediatric Epidemiology, Institute of Social Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich, 80336 München, GermanyDepartment of Pediatrics, University Hospital and Medical Faculty Carl Gustav Carus, Technische Universität Dresden, 01307 Dresden, GermanyDepartment of Pediatrics, University Hospital and Medical Faculty Carl Gustav Carus, Technische Universität Dresden, 01307 Dresden, Germany(1) Background: When the Omicron variant of SARS-CoV-2 first emerged in Germany in January 2022, data on related disease severity among children and adolescents were not yet available. Given Omicron’s high transmissibility, the ability to assess its impact on admission and hospitalization rates in children’s hospitals is critical for the purpose of understanding the scope of its burden on the German healthcare system. (2) Methods: From 24 January 2022 to 31 July 2022, SARS-CoV-2 cases admitted to German pediatric hospitals were monitored via a national, clinician-led reporting system (CLRS) established by the German Society for Pediatric Infectious Diseases (DGPI). Cases treated on general wards and intensive care units, as well as patient age and the need for respiratory support, were recorded. (3) Results: From January to July 2022, a median of 1.7 cases (range 0.4–3) per reporting pediatric hospital per day was hospitalized in general wards, whereas a median of 0.1 cases (range 0–0.4 cases) was admitted to intensive care units. Of all hospitalized patients, 4.2% received respiratory support. (4) Conclusions: Despite the high incidence rates documented in connection with the Omicron variant in early 2022, the number of pediatric hospital admissions, and especially the number of cases with the need for intensive care treatment and respiratory support due to symptomatic SARS-CoV-2 infection, remained relatively low. Higher Omicron incidence rates had only a modest impact on SARS-CoV-2-related admissions and hospitalization in German children’s hospitals.https://www.mdpi.com/1999-4915/14/10/2102SARS-CoV-2COVID-19Omicronchildrenhospitalization |
| spellingShingle | Maren Doenhardt Christin Gano Anna-Lisa Sorg Natalie Diffloth Tobias Tenenbaum Rüdiger von Kries Reinhard Berner Jakob P. Armann Burden of Pediatric SARS-CoV-2 Hospitalizations during the Omicron Wave in Germany Viruses SARS-CoV-2 COVID-19 Omicron children hospitalization |
| title | Burden of Pediatric SARS-CoV-2 Hospitalizations during the Omicron Wave in Germany |
| title_full | Burden of Pediatric SARS-CoV-2 Hospitalizations during the Omicron Wave in Germany |
| title_fullStr | Burden of Pediatric SARS-CoV-2 Hospitalizations during the Omicron Wave in Germany |
| title_full_unstemmed | Burden of Pediatric SARS-CoV-2 Hospitalizations during the Omicron Wave in Germany |
| title_short | Burden of Pediatric SARS-CoV-2 Hospitalizations during the Omicron Wave in Germany |
| title_sort | burden of pediatric sars cov 2 hospitalizations during the omicron wave in germany |
| topic | SARS-CoV-2 COVID-19 Omicron children hospitalization |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/1999-4915/14/10/2102 |
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