ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Children living with chronic comorbid conditions are at increased risk for severe COVID-19 disease, though there is limited evidence regarding the risks associated with specific conditions and which children may benefit from targeted COVID-19 therapies. Age-specific baseline indicators of COVID-19 severity are also needed to evaluate the effectiveness of SARS-CoV-2 vaccination strategies in the paediatric population. OBJECTIVE(S): In this study, we aimed to 1) identify factors associated with severe COVID-19 in children, and 2) describe rates of hospitalization, intensive care unit (ICU) admission, and severe COVID-19 within specific pediatric age groups. DESIGN/METHODS: We conducted a national prospective study on hospitalized children with microbiologically confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection via the Canadian Paediatric Surveillance Program from March 2020-May 2021. Cases were reported voluntarily by a network of >2800 paediatricians and paediatric subspecialists. SARS-CoV-2 hospitalizations were classified as COVID-19-related, incidental infection, or infection control/social admissions. Severe disease was defined as intensive care, ventilatory or hemodynamic requirements, select organ system complications, or death. Outcomes were described among children aged <6 months, 6-23 months, 2-4 years, 5-11 years, and 12-17 years. Risk factors for severe disease were identified using multivariable Poisson regression, adjusting for child age and sex, coinfections, and timing of hospitalization. RESULT(S): We identified 541 children hospitalized with SARS-CoV-2 infection, including 329 (60.8%) with COVID-19-related disease. Median age at admission was 2.8 years (IQR 0.3-13.5) and 42.9% (n=232) had at least one comorbidity. Among COVID-19-related hospitalizations, severe disease occurred in 29.5% of children (n=97/329), including a higher proportion of children aged 2-4 years (48.7%) and 12-17 years (41.3%) (Table 1). Comorbidities associated with severe disease are described in Figure 1, and included technology dependence (adjusted risk ratio [aRR] 1.96, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.31-2.95), neurologic conditions (e.g. epilepsy and chromosomal/genetic conditions) (aRR 1.87, 95% CI 1.34-2.61), and pulmonary conditions (e.g. bronchopulmonary dysplasia and uncontrolled asthma) (aRR 1.66, 95% CI 1.13-2.42). CONCLUSION(S): While severe outcomes were detected at all ages and among patients with and without comorbidities, neurologic and pulmonary conditions as well as technology dependence were associated with increased risk of severe COVID-19. Children aged 2-4 years more commonly experienced severe COVID-19 in this study, which was conducted at a time when no children were eligible for SARS-CoV-2 vaccines. Notably, this high-risk group remains without access to approved vaccines. These findings may help guide vaccination programs and prioritize targeted COVID-19 therapies for children.
ABSTRACT
The Federal Highway Administration's (FHWA's) Focused Approach to Safety identifies pedestrian and bicycle safety as an emphasis area and provides targeted efforts for promoting pedestrian and bicycle safety through financial, staff, and training support. Pedestrian and bicycle safety is also a prioritized safety area in Florida. In 2020, the Florida Local Technical Assistance Program (LTAP) hosted a pedestrian and bicycle safety best practices virtual symposium in a four-part webinar-series format, supported by FHWA Accelerating Safety Activities Program (ASAP). The purpose of this event was to equip statewide professionals with the most effective and appropriate countermeasures and best practices for improving pedestrian and bicycle safety. The event was a successful workforce development experience based on training evaluations related to number of attendees and their location distribution, attendee evaluations on webinar quality, speaker knowledge and skills, and improvements in attendee understanding of pedestrian/bicycle safety. Educational materials relevant to pedestrian and bicycle safety topics were developed to enhance training delivery. The event also provided an opportunity to verify the advantages of online training compared to in-person events in terms of increased hosting capacity and training effectiveness, better time management, and increased communication opportunities among presenters and attendees. The experience obtained and lessons learned provided significant benefits for future safety workforce development training planning and coordination. © ASCE. All rights reserved.