Risk Factors for Hospitalization for SARS-CoV-2 in Pediatric Patients with Rheumatic Diseases: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis

Poster Presenter: Qianzi Zhao, MD, PhD, Trinity Health Ann Arbor

Poster Title: Risk Factors for Hospitalization for SARS-CoV-2 in Pediatric Patients with Rheumatic Diseases: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis

Poster Session C: Tuesday, Nov. 14

What is your poster about?
“This poster is about investigating hospitalization risk for SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) in pediatric patients with rheumatic diseases and its associated risk factors.”

Why did you decide to investigate this topic?
“I was curious about the relationship between rheumatic diseases and COVID-19. While generally children have less severe COVID-19 outcomes with lower hospitalization and mortality rates than adults, I was wondering if children with rheumatic disease have more severe COVID-19 and what would be the risk factors. I searched in databases and realized there were a limited number of studies with relatively small sample sizes and inconsistent results. Therefore, I decided to do a meta-analysis that could answer this question better as it increases the sample size.”

What are you working on next related to this research?
“I am working on the question whether SARS-CoV-2 infection affects rheumatic disease activity, including delta and omicron variants.”

“The results of our work suggested that certain immunosuppressive agents may be a risk factor for the COVID-19 morbidity in pediatric rheumatic disorders in addition to certain underlining disorders, while certain agents may be a protective factor.”

— Qianzi Zhao, MD, PhD

What excites you most about your work?
“The results of our work suggested that certain immunosuppressive agents may be a risk factor for the COVID-19 morbidity in pediatric rheumatic disorders in addition to certain underlying disorders, while certain agents may be a protective factor. These findings provided evidence for further investigation of the role of biologics in COVID-19 treatment in children.”

What are you most looking forward to at ACR Convergence 2023 in San Diego?
“I’m really looking forward to meeting professionals from all over the world, learning the latest advances in rheumatology and immunology, and gaining information for future career opportunities.”