dziakj1
commented
4 years ago Summary
Suggested questions to answer about each paper:
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What did they analyze? A large pediatric cancer clinic (MSK Kids at Memorial Sloan Kettering) did routine screening and testing of pediatric patients and their caregivers for COVID-19.
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What methods did they use? All outpatients and inpatients were screened for symptoms or known exposure. Those who screened positive or who would undergo certain intense treatments for their cancer were also tested for COVID-19 via RT-PCR assay. They compare the rate of infection among different groups of patients and caregivers on a retrospective basis.
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Does this paper study COVID-19, SARS-CoV-2, or a related disease and/or virus?
This specifically involves COVID-19.
- What is the main finding (or a few main takeaways)? 178 patients were screened (107 male, 71 female). 20 patients had positive results (17 male and 3 female). The disproportionate number of males was significant according to Fisher's exact test without multiple comparison adjustment. The authors suggest that this, and similar imbalances in other studies, may be due to biological difference in infectivity between males and females.
Only one of the COVID-positive patients required hospitalization for COVID-specific symptoms, and that was for noncritical care. Three patients without COVID symptoms required hospitalization for cancer-related (or perhaps mixed) reasons. The children did not seem to be at higher risk for infection, or for serious illness, than adults in the same region.
- What does this paper tell us about the background and/or diagnostics/therapeutics for COVID-19 / SARS-CoV-2?
It seems to provide a small amount of supporting evidence for males being at greater risk than females, and perhaps also of children being at lesser risk than adults.
- Do you have any concerns about methodology or the interpretation of these results beyond this analysis?
The sample is fairly small and highly selected (pediatric cancer patients in New York). There were several tests without multiple comparison adjustment.
Any comments or notes?
This was a brief "research letter," not a full article, in JAMA Oncology.
Title: COVID-19 in Children With Cancer in New York City
General Information
Please paste a link to the paper or a citation here:
Link: https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamaoncology/fullarticle/2766112
What is the paper's Manubot-style citation?
@doi:10.1001/jamaoncol.2020.2028
Citation:
Is this paper primarily relevant to Background or Pathogenesis?
Please list some keywords (3-10) that help identify the relevance of this paper to COVID-19
Please note the publication / review status
Which areas of expertise are particularly relevant to the paper?