This retrospective chart review sought to identify whether ADHD is a potential risk factor for COVID-19 infection and evaluate the COVID-19 risk factor on individuals receiving medical treatment for ADHD. Medical treatment was defined as having filled at least two ADHD medications 3 months prior to COVID-19 testing. The chart review was performed on children and adolescents aged 6 to 18 years in Israel, who had undergone at least one COVID-19 test during the study period.
Of the 64,409 subjects included in the study, 6,207 (9.64%) had at least one positive COVID-19 test result.
Of those with at least one positive COVID-19 test, 13,300 (20.65%) were diagnosed with ADHD
Among children and adolescents diagnosed with ADHD who have had at least one positive COVID-19 test, 1,751 (13%) were defined as being medically treated.
The results indicate that medically-treated ADHD subjects had a significantly lower likelihood to be infected with COVID-19 than untreated subjects.
Untreated ADHD patients seem to constitute a risk group for COVID-19 infection. The significance of this research reaches beyond individuals with ADHD, because medical treatment of ADHD ameliorates risk of spreading COVID-19 infection both within the pediatric population and the general population.
Citation: Cohen, H. A., Gerstein, M., Yaniv, N., Richenberg, Y., Jacobson, E., Marton, S., … Shkalim Zemer, V. (2021). Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder as a Risk Factor for COVID-19 Infection. Journal of Attention Disorders, 108705472110442. doi:10.1177/10870547211044217. Retrieved 6 November 2021 at https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/medgen/?linkname=pubmed_medgen&from_uid=34668429
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