COVID-19 pandemic caused over 14 million deaths worldwide and while children and young people (CYP) may have a significantly lower risk of death from the virus compared to adults, the pandemic led to widespread and profound changes in daily life. To protect those considered more vulnerable, measures such as school and shop closures, and restrictions on recreational activities (‘lockdowns’) were implemented to reduce the spread of COVID-19.
However, it is unclear how effective the public health mechanisms were to reduce mortality in the most vulnerable groups. Identifying CYP at highest risk of severe illness and death after SARS-CoV-2 infection therefore remains critical in order to learn from the pandemic and to balance policy to avoid unwarranted impacts of lockdowns and restrictions in the future.
In this study, published in BMJ Open using data from the National Mortality Database, we identified that COVID-19 accounted for 1.4% of all CYP deaths over a 26-month period. The analysis highlights socioeconomic and ethnic disparities, as well as the increased vulnerability of children with life-limiting conditions.
Back to: Home | Other publications