Tendência temporal dos casos confirmados de COVID-19 em crianças, adolescentes e adultos de São Carlos - SP entre 2020 e 2021: um estudo de série temporal

Introduction: COVID-19 behavior in childhood was different from that of adults and the evaluation of these cases and their trend over time was poorly explored. Also, lethality in the disease in the pediatric population was observed, highlighting the importance of studies in this population. Objective: To analyze the temporal trend in COVID-19-confirmed cases in children and adolescents and compare it to adults in São Carlos. Methods: A time-series study was conducted between February 2020 and March 2021 in São Carlos, SP, Brazil, comparing children and adolescents to adults, both with a positive reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) test, in the Epidemiology Surveillance database. Time was split at the 38th epidemiological week (periods 1 and 2). The data were analyzed using a Prais–Winsten generalized linear regression model, considering a p-value < 0.05. The e-SUS database was investigated in the same period, to evaluate clinical cases in children and adolescents’ characteristics. Results: Three thousand and sixteen RT-PCR tests were performed on children and adolescents, and 791 (26.0%) were positive. There was a rising trend of cases, and the comparison between the periods revealed a 2.5-fold increase for children and adolescents and a 3.0-fold increase for adults. Conclusion: There was a rising trend in cases that was comparable between children, adolescents, and adults. This result helps the knowledge about the transmission in children, adolescents, and adults, at the local level. This way, it contributes to the construction of preventive interventions that are necessary and related to public policies.