COVID-19 and children

BACKGROUND: Global rates of invasive Group A Streptococcus (iGAS) disease surged from September 2022, exceeding pre-COVID-19 pandemic levels, showing atypical seasonality and disproportionately affecting children. We previously described the epidemiology of iGAS among Australian children from mid-2018 to end 2022 using data from the Paediatric Active Enhanced Diseases network and here provide updated clinical epidemiology for 2023 and 2024 to help inform public health strategies.

CONCLUSION: The Act is an important step towards addressing healthcare disparities, with its success contingent on overcoming implementation barriers through inclusive and strategic policymaking and investment in digital infrastructure.

Vaccines have saved an estimated 154 million lives in the past 50 years and support 15 of the 17 United Nations sustainable development goals. Vaccines are also an important tool in the control of new outbreaks of infectious diseases. The vaccine cold chain, however, is key in enabling and empowering implementation of vaccine policy and societal protection from all vaccine preventable diseases, and is especially relevant in low and middle income countries in sub-Saharan Africa. The vaccine cold...

Pleuropulmonary blastoma (PPB) is a rare pediatric lung malignancy that primarily involves the lungs and pleura. PPB can be easily misdiagnosed as congenital pulmonary airway malformation (CPAM) based on its cystic features. We report the case of an infant who presented to the emergency department with fever and respiratory distress. The patient tested positive for COVID-19, and imaging was initially suggestive of large CPAM in the right hemithorax causing compression of the right lung and...

This study investigates contingent and longitudinal predictors of mental health in early adulthood, using unique, harmonized panel data from the Young Lives study in Ethiopia, India, and Peru, spanning over two decades across diverse settings. It accounts for factors and events occurring during the most significant developmental stages, from infancy through childhood and adolescence. It focuses on self-reported symptoms of anxiety and depression, measured amid unprecedented turmoil, during and...

CONCLUSIONS: Use of webinars for interventional radiology education in the Asia Pacific region was well-received and demonstrates the viability of virtual interventional radiology educational programs to reach underserved communities where interventional radiology has room to grow.

CONCLUSION: Our findings, similar to prior research, suggest a further need for interventions to improve pregnancy outcomes among Black and IA pregnancies and for pregnant individuals with depression. Further research identifying additional pathways (e.g., socioeconomic status) may clarify how COVID-19 impacted pregnancy-related health disparities and potential methods to ameliorate them.

CONCLUSION: This is the first Australian COVID-19 study to report potential pressure on the preadmission pathway for nutrition care during the COVID-19 period, with a higher proportion of patients reported to be at risk of malnutrition in later 2020. An increase in reporting of recent past smoking was observed, potentially attributable to heightened awareness of respiratory vulnerabilities associated with the virus. This study offers valuable insights to inform future pandemic planning, optimise...

BACKGROUND: COVID-19 antigen-based rapid diagnostic tests (Ag-RDTs) for self-testing (C19ST) have been widely implemented. However, evidence on population health and implementation outcomes remains limited. We systematically evaluated population health and implementation outcomes of C19ST to inform WHO guidelines and pandemic preparedness.

CONCLUSION: Viral co-infections were frequent among SARS-CoV-2 positive patients, particularly in children and hospitalized individuals. Strengthening multiplex diagnostic capacity and integrated respiratory virus surveillance in resource-limited settings may improve clinical management and inform public health response strategies.