Children, teens, and young adults are at greater risk for severe complications from COVID-19 than previously thought, according to a study which says those with underlying health conditions are at even greater risk. "The idea that COVID-19 is sparing of young people is just false," said study coauthor Lawrence Kleinman from Rutgers University in the US. According to the study, published in JAMA Pediatrics, children are more likely to get very sick if they have other chronic conditions like obesity. "It is also important to note that children without chronic illness are also at risk. Parents need to continue to take the virus seriously," Kleinman cautioned.

The study, published in JAMA Pediatrics, is the first to describe the characteristics of seriously ill pediatric COVID-19 patients in North America. In the research, the scientists assessed 48 children and young adults -- from newborns to 21 years old -- who were admitted to pediatric intensive care units (PICUs) in the US and Canada for COVID-19 in March and April. The study noted that more than 80 per cent of the children had chronic underlying conditions, such as immune suppression, obesity, diabetes, seizures, or chronic lung disease.