Researchers have found that pediatric cancer patients who test positive for COVID-19 do not appear to be at any increased risk of severe COVID-19 infection compared to healthy children. The study, published in the British Journal of Cancer, analyzed the severity of COVID-19 infection in children with cancer.
Author Gerard Millen from the University of Birmingham in the UK says, The COVID-19 pandemic spread rapidly in the early part of 2020 and there were initial concerns about the severity of the infection in adults with cancer. While children overall seemed to be less severely affected, little was known about the effects in children with cancer.
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A new study led by @unibirmingham in partner with @CCLG_UK has found that paediatric cancer patients who catch #COVID19 are at no greater risk of developing serious symptoms than other children. Read more https://t.co/29fY6vqhc1 pic.twitter.com/xtwHazPlj6
— Cancer Immunology and Immunotherapy Centre (@CIIC_UoB) December 11, 2020 " class="align-text-top noRightClick twitterSection" data="
">A new study led by @unibirmingham in partner with @CCLG_UK has found that paediatric cancer patients who catch #COVID19 are at no greater risk of developing serious symptoms than other children. Read more https://t.co/29fY6vqhc1 pic.twitter.com/xtwHazPlj6
— Cancer Immunology and Immunotherapy Centre (@CIIC_UoB) December 11, 2020A new study led by @unibirmingham in partner with @CCLG_UK has found that paediatric cancer patients who catch #COVID19 are at no greater risk of developing serious symptoms than other children. Read more https://t.co/29fY6vqhc1 pic.twitter.com/xtwHazPlj6
— Cancer Immunology and Immunotherapy Centre (@CIIC_UoB) December 11, 2020
5 Percent Patients Need Care
He added that the results found that the majority of patients either had mild infections or were asymptomatic. No patient died from COVID-19 and only 5 percent required intensive care support. Launched in April, the UK Pediatric Coronavirus Cancer Monitoring Project was set up following a similar project in adult cancer patients coordinated by the University of Birmingham.
Study With Leukaemia Group
The aim was to collect real-time outcome data on all children with cancer. In the UK who on admission to hospital tested positive for Covid-19 so that the severity of their illness could be collected nationally. Designed in cooperation with the Children's Cancer and Leukaemia Group (CCLG), the project enabled all the centers in the UK that look after children with cancer to enroll into the study.
No Greater Risk in Children
The data gathered was shared with clinicians and the CCLG in real-time to inform advice on shielding in this group of patients. Due to the data produced from this study, the CCLG was able to amend the shielding advice to remove the majority of children with cancer from the group needing to shield. Millen added that the results are reassuring to parents around the country that children with cancer are at no greater risk of developing serious symptoms of Covid-19 than other children.
