Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic is the largest public health crisis worldwide in recent times. Aim: to describe the pediatric epidemiological curve in Chile during 2020 and 2021 and compare it with the global curve. Methods: descriptive, analytical and prospective study based on data on the evolution of the Chilean epidemic published by the Chilean Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Sciences. Results: the cumulative incidence of COVID-19 in children was 189,769 (8,9) and in adults 1,952,712 (91.1%). The epidemiological curve in children is similar to that in adults with contagion rates proportional to the size of susceptible populations. The ratio of the adult contagion rate to the pediatric contagion rate had an average of 3.3 (CI 2.97 to 3.6). With regard to the distribution by sex we observed a predominance of men in children 0 to 14 years of age and a predominance of women from the age of 15 onwards. Conclusions: Covid-19 mainly affects the adult population, however the epidemiological curve described in children is very similar to that of adults. Differences by sex are observed depending on the age group.