Evidence map›Paper›PMID 42210267›Full record

ReviewInternational journal for equity in health2026

COVID-19 morbidity and mortality in young people in selected countries of the Americas.

Sonja Caffe, Emmanuel Gonzalez Bautista, Oscar San Roman-Orozco, Antonio Sanhueza

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Review in International journal for equity in health, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

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1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

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2 · The registry

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3 · Its place in the literature

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4 · The record

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5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

4 authors.

Sonja Caffe *Pan American Health Organization (PAHO/WHO), 525 23rd Street, NW, Washington, DC, USA. caffes@paho.org.
Emmanuel Gonzalez Bautista *Maintain Aging Research team, CERPOP, Université de Toulouse, Inserm, Université Paul Sabatier, Toulouse, 31000, France.
Oscar San Roman-Orozco *Division de Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad Anahuac Queretaro, Queretaro, Mexico.
Antonio Sanhueza *Pan American Health Organization (PAHO/WHO), 525 23rd Street, NW, Washington, DC, USA.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundWhile COVID-19 primarily affected adults, the epidemiology among adolescents and young adults has been less explored. This study describes the burden, outcomes, and correlates of COVID-19 among people aged 10-24 years in selected countries in the Americas during the acute pandemic phase (2020-mid-2022).

methodsWe analyzed case-based surveillance data reported by 32 countries and territories to the Pan American Health Organization between January 2020 and July 2022. Confirmed and probable SARS-CoV-2 infections were included following WHO definitions. We described age, sex, and temporal distributions, estimated cumulative incidence, and assessed associations between recovery status, comorbidities, and treatment modalities using logistic regression models adjusted for age and sex.

resultsA total of 17,031,217 COVID-19 cases were reported among young people (72% aged 10-19; 28% aged 20-24). Females accounted for 53% of cases. The pooled cumulative incidence was 7.7 per 100 population aged 10-24, ranging from 0.1 in Cuba to 52.0 in Bonaire, Sint Eustatius, and Saba. Recovery was documented in 88.9% of adolescents and 87.0% of young adults. The odds of recovery were lower among those aged 20-24 years (aOR 0.84, 95% CI 0.83-0.84), those with ≥ 1 comorbidity (aOR 0.17, 95% CI 0.16-0.18), and those requiring ventilatory support (aOR 0.28, 95% CI 0.25-0.31). Females and hospitalized patients had slightly higher recovery odds. Cardiovascular, kidney, and diabetic comorbidities were significantly associated with increased mortality.

conclusionsYoung people in the Americas represented a substantial proportion of COVID-19 cases, though with low overall mortality. However, chronic conditions markedly increased the risk of poor outcomes. Strengthening surveillance, ensuring continuity of care for young people with chronic diseases, and tailoring risk communication are essential components of future pandemic preparedness and life-course health strategies.

Indexed as

COVID-19AdolescentAmericasChildComorbidityFemaleHumansIncidenceMaleMorbiditySARS-CoV-2Young Adult

Identifiers

PMID42210267
PMCPMC13220624

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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.