Paediatric hospitalisations due to COVID-19 during the first SARS-CoV-2 omicron (B.1.1.529) variant wave in South Africa: a multicentre observational study

SARS-CoV-2 spread and hospitalisations in paediatric patients during the omicron surge

“…Among hospitalised paediatric patients (aged ≤13 years) with a primary COVID-19 diagnosis, seizures were reported in 19 (31%) of 138 patients, with only a small number having comorbid conditions (eg, epilepsy [n=1] and cerebral palsy [n=1]) that explained the seizure manifestations. 4 In a separate multinational study of neurological manifestations by Fink and colleagues, 5 seizures were reported in 108 (8·5%) of 1278 children hospitalised with COVID-19. The study included patients from 30 centres across North and South America.…”

“…In The Lancet Child & Adolescent Health, a study by Jeané Cloete and colleagues, 4 published performed in Tshwane District of South Africa, found a rapid increase in paediatric COVID-19-related admissions to hospital (hereafter, hospitalisations) during the 6-week period from Oct 31 to Dec 11, 2021. The rapid increase in hospitalisations was accompanied by widespread community transmission of the omicron variant, as shown by COVID-19 surveillance data from multiple sources and genomic sequencing data.…”

“… 6 , 7 , 8 The current study, consistent with previous research, shows the possibility that a large increase in the number of COVID-19 cases, even if milder on average, can increase the absolute number of paediatric patients with severe outcomes. 4 These conditions can overwhelm an already strained health-care system, and be further exacerbated during seasonal increases of expected respiratory illness among children.…”

Estimating disease severity of Omicron and Delta SARS-CoV-2 infections

“…But is Omicron more severe in children? In children, the fraction of SARS-CoV-2-positive cases admitted to hospital in South Africa doubled during the Omicron wave compared to in the Delta wave 8 , 9 . This seems to point to higher disease severity.…”

Effectiveness of CoronaVac in children 3 to 5 years during the omicron SARS-CoV-2 outbreak

“…1,2 Emerging evidence suggests that omicron causes less severe disease than previous variants of concern (VOC), probably due to lower virulence, infection-acquired immunity, and higher vaccination coverage. [3][4][5][6] However, its high transmissibility and ability to partially evade the immune response induced has been associated with a substantial increase in severe Covid-19 cases globally. 2 The absolute number of pediatric hospital admissions has also surpassed previous waves, 4,7,8 straining healthcare systems even further.…”