A new study, published in the peer-reviewed scientific journal JAMA Pediatrics, found that if a child infected with the new coronavirus suffers from obesity, this greatly increases the chances of developing a severe form of COVID-19.
In their work, specialists studied in detail 50 severe cases of coronavirus infection in New York children, whose condition required hospitalization. Nine of them had to be connected to mechanical ventilation devices.
During the analysis of medical history, experts drew attention to the fact that 11 of the hospitalized children were obese – 22%. The percentage of young overweight patients among those who needed mechanical ventilation was even higher than 67% (six out of nine).
In two cases, COVID-19 took an extremely severe form, the oxygen level in the blood dropped, and a sudden cardiac arrest occurred. One of these cases was fatal.
None of the 50 patients developed a dangerous inflammatory disease similar to Kawasaki disease, cases of which have been reported rarely recently in children with COVID.
The good news: the researchers concluded that a suppressed immune system (due to physical exertion, lack of sleep, seasonal fluctuations etc.) in children does not increase the risk of severe development of the disease, a cytokine storm and death. This, however, is not about serious immunodeficiency conditions, not one of the patients was ill with AIDS.
Children are less likely to die. However, obesity is a risk factor for severe disease and the need for ventilation. – commented on the results of the work, Dr. Michael Grosso, head of the pediatric department of the Huntington Hospital in New York.
Earlier, Reedus said that the harmful effects of social exclusion for children can last for years.
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