Evidence map›Paper›PMID 37813543›Full record

SynthesisBMJ open2023

SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern in children and adolescents with COVID-19: a systematic review.

Margarethe Wiedenmann, Aziz Mert Ipekci, Lucia Araujo-Chaveron, Nirmala Prajapati, Yin Ting Lam, Muhammad Irfanul Alam, Arnaud G L'Huillier, Ivan Zhelyazkov, Leonie Heron, Nicola Low and 1 more

Open access · goldAbstract readSystematic Review
In one paragraph

Synthesis in BMJ open, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 15 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
15citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
3.5field-weighted citation impact, top 6% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

15 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 18 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Disease severity among hospitalized children during the COVID-19 pandemic in Israel.European journal of clinical microbiology & infectious diseases : official publication of the European Society of Clinical Microbiology · 2026
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

11 authors at 7 institutions in 3 countries.

Margarethe WiedenmannMedical Service Unit, Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, Basel, Switzerland margarethe.wiedenmann@swisstph.ch.ORCID 0000-0002-2357-4133
Aziz Mert IpekciInstitute of Social and Preventive Medicine, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland.
Lucia Araujo-ChaveronEHESP French School of Public Health, Rennes, France.ORCID 0000-0002-2110-6088
Nirmala PrajapatiUniversité Paris-Saclay, Gif-sur-Yvette, France.
Yin Ting LamInstitute of Social and Preventive Medicine, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland.ORCID 0000-0002-2380-834X
Muhammad Irfanul AlamEHESP Rennes-Sorbonne Paris Cité, Rennes, France.ORCID 0000-0002-8759-6585
Arnaud G L'HuillierDépartement de pédiatrie, gynécologie et obstétrique, HUG, Geneve, Switzerland.
Ivan ZhelyazkovThe University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK.
Leonie HeronInstitute of Social and Preventive Medicine, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland.
Nicola Low *Institute of Social and Preventive Medicine, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland.ORCID 0000-0003-4817-8986
Myrofora Goutaki *Institute of Social and Preventive Medicine, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland.ORCID 0000-0001-8036-2092
University of Bern · CHÉcole des Hautes Études en Santé Publique · FRHôpital Beau-Séjour · CHInstitut Pasteur · FRSwiss Tropical and Public Health Institute · CHUniversité Paris-Saclay · FRUniversity of Sheffield · GB

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

objectivesInfections by SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern (VOCs) might affect children and adolescents differently than earlier viral lineages. We aimed to address five questions about SARS-CoV-2 VOC infections in children and adolescents: (1) symptoms and severity, (2) risk factors for severe disease, (3) the risk of infection, (4) the risk of transmission and (5) long-term consequences following a VOC infection.

designSystematic review. DATA SOURCES: The COVID-19 Open Access Project database was searched up to 1 March 2022 and PubMed was searched up to 9 May 2022. ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA: We included observational studies about Alpha, Beta, Gamma, Delta and Omicron VOCs among ≤18-year-olds. We included studies in English, German, French, Greek, Italian, Spanish and Turkish. DATA EXTRACTION AND SYNTHESIS: Two reviewers extracted and verified the data and assessed the risk of bias. We descriptively synthesised the data and assessed the risks of bias at the outcome level.

resultsWe included 53 articles. Most children with any VOC infection presented with mild disease, with more severe disease being described with the Delta or the Gamma VOC. Diabetes and obesity were reported as risk factors for severe disease during the whole pandemic period. The risk of becoming infected with a SARS-CoV-2 VOC seemed to increase with age, while in daycare settings the risk of onward transmission of VOCs was higher for younger than older children or partially vaccinated adults. Long-term symptoms following an infection with a VOC were described in <5% of children and adolescents.

conclusionOverall patterns of SARS-CoV-2 VOC infections in children and adolescents are similar to those of earlier lineages. Comparisons between different pandemic periods, countries and age groups should be improved with complete reporting of relevant contextual factors, including VOCs, vaccination status of study participants and the risk of exposure of the population to SARS-CoV-2. PROSPERO REGISTRATION NUMBER: CRD42022295207.

Indexed as

COVID-19AdolescentAdultChildChild Day Care CentersDatabases, FactualHumansSARS-CoV-2COVID-19public healthsystematic review

Identifiers

PMID37813543
PMCPMC10565293
OpenAlexW4387450534

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.