Coronavirus infection and hospitalizations for acute respiratory illness in young children

Area of Science:

• Pediatrics
• Infectious Diseases
• Virology

Background:

• Limited data exists on the disease burden of common human coronaviruses (HCoVs) in young children.
• Four common HCoV types (NL63, HKU-1, OC43, 229E) are known to cause respiratory illness.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine the prevalence and hospitalization rates associated with HCoV infections in children under five years old.
• To assess the disease burden of specific HCoV types in pediatric populations.

Main Methods:

• A prospective, population-based surveillance study collected respiratory specimens and clinical data from hospitalized children aged less than five years over two years.
• Real-time RT-PCR was used to retrospectively test samples for HCoV-NL63, HKU1, OC43, and 229E.
• Hospitalization rates were calculated per 10,000 children in different age groups.

Main Results:

• Human coronaviruses (HCoVs) were detected in 2.2% of children under two years old.
• HCoV-associated hospitalization rates per 10,000 children were 10.2 (<6 months), 4.2 (6-23 months), and 0 (24-59 months).
• Coronaviruses were identified in a modest proportion of hospitalized children.

Conclusions:

• Human coronaviruses contribute to the burden of acute respiratory illness and hospitalization in young children.
• Further research is needed to fully understand the impact of HCoVs on pediatric respiratory health.