Evidence map›Paper›PMID 42056917›Full record

SynthesisBMC infectious diseases2026

Association of race, ethnicity, and pediatric long COVID and MIS-C: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Emma Bergqvist, Melissa Valerio-Shewmaker, Micheal Swartz, Jenil Patel, Lindsay Padilla, Ximena Flandes Amavisca, Henal Gandhi, Sarah E Messiah

Abstract readSystematic ReviewMeta-Analysis
In one paragraph

Synthesis in BMC infectious diseases, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
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

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

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

8 authors.

Emma BergqvistDepartment of Epidemiology, UTHealth Houston School of Public Health, Dallas, TX, USA.
Melissa Valerio-ShewmakerDepartment of Health Promotion and Behavioral Sciences, UTHealth Houston School of Public Health, Brownsville, TX, USA. melissa.a.valerio@uth.tmc.edu.
Micheal SwartzDepartment of Biostatistics and Data Science, UTHealth Houston School of Public Health, Houston, TX, USA.
Jenil PatelDepartment of Epidemiology, UTHealth Houston School of Public Health, Dallas, TX, USA.
Lindsay PadillaDepartment of Epidemiology, UTHealth Houston School of Public Health, Houston, TX, USA.
Ximena Flandes AmaviscaDepartment of Epidemiology, UTHealth Houston School of Public Health, Houston, TX, USA.
Henal GandhiDepartment of Epidemiology, UTHealth Houston School of Public Health, Houston, TX, USA.
Sarah E MessiahDepartment of Epidemiology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Peter O'Donnell School of Public Health, Dallas, TX, USA.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundPediatric long COVID and other post-COVID conditions, particularly in relation to racial, ethnic, and household social determinants, are not yet well understood. This study aims to synthesize evidence on racial and ethnic disparities in pediatric long COVID and related conditions like MIS-C.

methodsA systematic review and meta-analysis were performed on studies reporting post-COVID conditions and outcomes by race and ethnicity. Studies were identified through comprehensive database searches, screened for relevance, and assessed for quality. Data on race, ethnicity, and social determinants were extracted and analyzed using random-effects models to estimate pooled odds ratios. Sensitivity analyses were performed to address potential publication bias.

resultsNon-Hispanic Black children had significantly higher odds of ICU admission (OR 1.89, 95% CI 1.01-3.28), MIS-C development (OR 2.37, 95% CI 1.43-3.90), and PIMS-TS (OR 16.28, 95% CI 9.24-28.70) compared to Non-Hispanic White children. Although Hispanic children showed a protective effect against severe MIS-C (OR 0.77, 95% CI 0.64-0.93), their MIS-C incidence remained higher (OR 2.70, 95% CI 1.10-6.65). Elevated risks of MIS-C death were observed for Asian/Pacific Islander (OR 6.79, 95% CI 1.2-38.52) and Alaskan Indian/Native American children (OR 4.07, 95% CI 3.4-44.53). Additionally, Asian children had increased odds of PIMS-TS (OR 6.42, 95% CI 2.70-15.27), while groups labeled as 'Other' were at higher odds for both PIMS-TS (OR 9.75, 95% CI 3.04-31.30) and MIS-C (OR 2.36, 95% CI 1.18-4.71).

conclusionsSignificant racial and ethnic disparities in pediatric long COVID, and MIS-C outcomes emphasize the need for targeted interventions addressing social and healthcare inequities. CLINICAL TRIAL NUMBER: Not applicable.

Indexed as

COVID-19EthnicityRacial GroupsSystemic Inflammatory Response SyndromeChildHumansPost-Acute COVID-19 SyndromeSARS-CoV-2Socioeconomic Disparities in HealthWhiteCOVID-19Long-COVIDMIS-CPost-acute sequelae of SARS-CoV-2Post-COVID conditionsSystematic review

Identifiers

PMID42056917
PMCPMC13366790

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY-NC-ND
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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.