What do we know about COVID-19 in children in the 3rd year of the pandemic in Catalonia?
¿Qué sabemos de la COVID-19 pediátrica en el tercer año de la pandemia en Cataluña?
Antoni Soriano-Arandes1, Clara Prats2 on behalf of the COPEDI-CAT and the BIOCOM-SC research groups
1Paediatric Infectious Diseases and Immunodeficiencies Unit, Hospital Universitari Vall d’Hebron, Barcelona. Catalonia. Spain.
2Physics Department, Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya, Castelldefels. Catalonia. Spain.
Antoni Soriano Arandes
E-mail: tsorianoarandes@gmail.com
RESUMEN
La pandemia de la enfermedad por coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) obligó a los profesionales de la salud a unir sus esfuerzos para compartir datos en tiempo real en proyectos de investigación coordinados. Además, hubo una inquietud inicial, sobre todo entre los pediatras, por saber cómo afectaría esta enfermedad a los niños y adolescentes. El objetivo de este artículo es mostrar la viabilidad y los principales resultados de una exitosa estrategia de investigación pediátrica multidisciplinar, el grupo COPEDI-CAT, que integra atención primaria junto con hospitales y otros profesionales no médicos en Catalunya, España. El grupo de investigación, con más de 170 profesionales, ya ha publicado más de una docena de artículos en revistas de alto factor de impacto, ha participado en varios webinars y congresos nacionales e internacionales, y ha creado un espacio de debate en tiempo real para el seguimiento de la pandemia de COVID-19. Todavía hay estudios en curso y se revisan nuevos datos recopilados, se proponen nuevos proyectos y se realizan intervenciones puntuales en reuniones semanales por parte de profesionales expertos en esta enfermedad (locales y de otras áreas o países). La pandemia de COVID-19 ha representado una oportunidad única para realizar una investigación multidisciplinar de calidad en pediatría, y COPEDI-CAT podría servir de modelo para futuras investigaciones en otras enfermedades que afectan a niños y adolescentes de nuestro país.
ABSTRACT
The coronavirus 2019 disease (COVID-19) pandemic forced health-care professionals to join their effort of sharing real time data in coordinated research projects. Also, there was an initial concern, particularly among paediatricians, to know how this disease would affect children and adolescents. The aim of this article is to show the feasibility and the main results of a successful multidisciplinary paediatric research strategy, the COPEDI-CAT group, that integrates primary care along with hospitals and other non-medical professionals in Catalonia, Spain.
The research group, with more than 170 professionals, has already published more than a dozen articles in highimpact factor journals, has participated in several national and international webinars and conferences, and has created a real-time space of debate to follow-up the COVID-19 pandemic. There are still ongoing studies and new collected data are reviewed, new projects are proposed, and punctual interventions in weekly meetings are made by professional experts on this disease (local and from other areas or countries). The COVID-19 pandemic has represented a unique opportunity to conduct a quality multidisciplinary research in pediatrics, and COPEDI-CAT could serve as a model for future research in other diseases that affect children and adolescents in our country.
The research group, with more than 170 professionals, has already published more than a dozen articles in highimpact factor journals, has participated in several national and international webinars and conferences, and has created a real-time space of debate to follow-up the COVID-19 pandemic. There are still ongoing studies and new collected data are reviewed, new projects are proposed, and punctual interventions in weekly meetings are made by professional experts on this disease (local and from other areas or countries). The COVID-19 pandemic has represented a unique opportunity to conduct a quality multidisciplinary research in pediatrics, and COPEDI-CAT could serve as a model for future research in other diseases that affect children and adolescents in our country.
