Comorbidities associated with hospitalization and progression among adolescents with symptomatic COVID-19

Objectives

To identify subgroups likely to benefit from monoclonal antibody and antiviral therapy, we evaluated the relationship between comorbidities and hospitalization among US adolescents with symptomatic COVID-19.

Study design

We analyzed the relationship between presence of comorbidities and need for hospitalization within 28 days of COVID-19 diagnosis for adolescents 12-17 years old in the Pediatric COVID-19 U.S. registry, a multicenter retrospective cohort of US pediatric patients with COVID-19. Comorbidities assessed included obesity, chronic kidney disease (CKD), diabetes, immunosuppressive disease or treatment, sickle cell disease (SCD), heart disease, neurologic disease/neurodevelopmental disorders, and pulmonary disease (excluding patients with mild asthma). We used multivariable logistic regression to determine race/ethnicity-adjusted associations between comorbidities and hospitalization.

Results

1877 patients met inclusion criteria, of whom 284 (15%) were hospitalized within 28 days of COVID-19 diagnosis. In a race/ethnicity-adjusted model, the following comorbidities were independently associated with increased odds of hospitalization: SCD (aOR 6.9 [3.0-15.9]), immunocompromising condition (aOR 6.4 [3.8-10.8]), obesity (aOR 3.2 [2.1-4.9]), diabetes (aOR 3.0 [1.4-6.2]), neurologic disease (aOR 2.8 [1.8-4.3]), and pulmonary disease (excluding mild asthma) (aOR 1.9 [1.2-3.1]). Heart disease and chronic kidney disease were not independently associated with hospitalization.

Conclusions

SCD, immunocompromising conditions, obesity, diabetes, neurologic disease, and pulmonary disease (excluding mild asthma) were associated with hospitalization for symptomatic COVID-19. Adolescents with acute COVID-19 and these comorbidities should be prioritized for consideration of therapy to avert hospitalization.