Key clinical point: Obesity and hypoxia at hospital admission were associated with increased risk of severe respiratory disease, while lower lymphocyte counts and higher C-reactive protein predicted more severe multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children hospitalized with COVID-19.

Major finding: In multivariate analysis, obesity and hypoxia significantly predicted severe respiratory disease in children with COVID-19, with odds ratios of 3.39 and 4.01, respectively.

Study details: The data come from a multicenter study including 281 pediatric patients aged 22 years and younger hospitalized with COVID-19 between March 1, 2020, and May 22, 2020.

Disclosures: The study received no outside funding. The researchers had no financial conflicts to disclose.