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Clinical Profile, Hospital Course and Outcome of Children with COVID-19
Karthi Nallasamy1, Suresh Kumar Angurana1, Muralidharan Jayashree2
1Department of Pediatrics, Advanced Pediatrics Centre, Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh, 160012, India.
Insights
In early COVID-19, most hospitalized children had mild illness and household contact. Infants and those with comorbidities faced severe or critical disease, with one fatality.
Area of Science:
- Pediatrics
- Infectious Diseases
- Epidemiology
Background:
- The initial phase of the COVID-19 pandemic saw limited data on pediatric cases.
- Understanding the characteristics of hospitalized children is crucial for public health response.
Purpose of the Study:
- To describe the epidemiological and clinical features of children hospitalized with COVID-19.
- To determine the outcomes of pediatric COVID-19 cases during the early pandemic.
Main Methods:
- A cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted in North India.
- Included were 31 children (14 years or younger) who tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 via RT-PCR.
Main Results:
- Most children (58%) were asymptomatic; fever and cough were common symptoms in symptomatic cases.
- Severe and critical illness occurred more frequently in infants and those with comorbidities.
- One of three children requiring PICU admission and ventilation died.
Conclusions:
- Early COVID-19 in children often presented as asymptomatic or mild illness, frequently linked to household transmission.
- Infants and children with comorbidities were at higher risk for severe disease progression.
Objectives:
To describe the epidemiological and clinical characteristics and outcome of hospitalized children with COVID-19 during the initial phase of the pandemic.
Methods:
This was a cross-sectional descriptive study conducted at the dedicated COVID-19 hospital of a tertiary care referral center in North India. Consecutive children aged 14 y or younger who tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 by RT-PCR from nasopharyngeal swab between 1 April 2020 and 15 July 2020 were included.
Results:
Of 31 children with median (IQR) age of 33 (9-96) mo, 9 (29%) were infants. About 74% (n = 23) had history of household contact. Comorbidities were noted in 6 (19%) children. More than half (58%) were asymptomatic. Of 13 symptomatic children, median (IQR) duration of symptoms was 2 (1-5.5) d. Fever (32%) was most common followed by cough (19%), rapid breathing (13%), diarrhea (10%) and vomiting (10%). Severe [n = 4, 13%] and critical [n = 1, 3%] illnesses were noted more commonly in infants with comorbidities. Three (10%) children required PICU admission and invasive ventilation; one died. Median (IQR) length of hospital stay was 15 (11-20) d. Follow up RT-PCR before discharge was performed in 17 children and the median (IQR) duration to RT-PCR negativity was 16 (12-19) d.
Conclusions:
In the early pandemic, most children with COVID-19 had a household contact and presented with asymptomatic or mild illness. Severe and critical illness were observed in young infants and those with comorbidities.
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