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Separation of Immune Cell Subpopulations in Peripheral Blood Samples from Children with Infectious Mononucleosis
Published on: September 7, 2022
Clinical characteristics of abruptly increased paediatric patients with Omicron BF.7 or BA.5.2 in Beijing
Lei Yu1, Congying Wang2, Xiaoyun Li3
1Department of Infection Management, Children's Hospital Capital Institute of Pediatrics, Beijing, 100020, China.
Insights
Beijing
Area of Science:
- Pediatrics
- Infectious Diseases
- Virology
Background:
- The COVID-19 pandemic led to a surge in SARS-CoV-2 infections among children in Beijing starting mid-November 2022.
- Understanding the clinical features of circulating SARS-CoV-2 strains in pediatric populations is crucial.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine the clinical manifestations of epidemic SARS-CoV-2 strains in pediatric outpatients in Beijing.
- To identify risk factors associated with prolonged recovery from SARS-CoV-2 infection in children.
Main Methods:
- Nucleic acid tests (NATs) were performed on pediatric outpatients with respiratory symptoms from November 18 to December 6, 2022.
- SARS-CoV-2 variants were identified through sequencing, and clinical data were collected for follow-up analysis.
Main Results:
- SARS-CoV-2 was detected in 7.62% of pediatric outpatients. Omicron subvariants BF.7 and BA.5.2 were dominant.
- Fever was the most common symptom (96.8%). Most children recovered within five days, with 1.7% experiencing febrile seizures.
- Increased co-living members and longer symptom duration were independent risk factors for prolonged recovery, particularly in vaccinated children.
Conclusions:
- Omicron subvariants BF.7 and BA.5.2 caused generally milder infections in Beijing's pediatric population.
- The number of household contacts and the duration of initial symptoms are key predictors of recovery time in children.
Background:
The coronavirus disease 2019 outbreak has hit Beijing since mid-Nov, 2022, with soaring growth of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) among children. Therefore, it is vital to determine the clinical manifestations of epidemic SARS-CoV-2 strains in paediatric patients.
Methods:
In this study, nucleic acid tests (NATs) for SARS-CoV-2 were performed in paediatric outpatients with symptoms of acute respiratory tract infection during 18 Nov-6 Dec, 2022. Half of the outpatients positive for SARS-CoV-2 were randomly selected to screen for other respiratory pathogens, whereas those with low cycle threshold values in SARS-CoV-2 NATs were amplified and sequenced to determine the SARS-CoV-2 variants. Finally, children positive for SARS-CoV-2 with clinical information in detail were enrolled in a follow-up study to identify potential factors significantly associated with long recovery.
Results:
Among 9625 paediatric outpatients tested for nucleic acid of SARS-CoV-2, 733 (7.62%, 733/9625) were identified as SARS-CoV-2 NAT positive, with only three (0.82%, 3/366) co-infected with other pathogens among 366 randomly selected patients, and 71 (62.83%) determined as Omicron subvariant BF.7 and 42 (37.22%) as BA.5.2 among 113 successfully sequenced. Among the 681 patients with complete clinical information, fever was the most common symptom (96.8%). In a follow-up study of 592 patients, 46.96% became asymptomatic on the third day and 65.71% on the fifth day. Only 1.7% of infected children experienced febrile seizures. Combined with abnormal C-reactive protein, a higher percentage of antibiotics administration was observed. More co-living members and longer duration of first symptoms served as independent risk factors for long-term recovery, especially in children vaccinated for SARS-CoV-2.
Conclusions:
BF.7 and BA.5.2 were the dominate Omicron subvariants and caused milder infections during the SARS-CoV-2 outbreak in Beijing. The number of co-living members and duration of first symptoms were independent risk factors for long-term recovery.
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