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

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.

Automated summary

The burden of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in children is relatively small globally, but a subset of hospitalized children with diverse clinical manifestations have been found to have SARS-CoV-2 RNAemia, which is associated with higher rates of oxygen administration, admission to the intensive care unit, and longer hospitalization.