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Disease Spectrum and Predictors of Prolonged Hospitalization in Lebanese Children With COVID-19

Hadi Fakih1,2, Ibrahim Dia3, Mohamad Jawad H Akach4

  • 1Pediatrics, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Lebanese University, Beirut, LBN.

Cureus
|December 15, 2025
PubMed

Insights

Most hospitalized children with COVID-19 experienced mild illness. Radiological pneumonia and the need for anti-inflammatory or antimicrobial treatments were linked to longer hospital stays in Lebanon.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatrics
  • Infectious Diseases
  • Public Health

Background:

  • Pediatric COVID-19 often presents mildly, but severe outcomes like multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C) can occur.
  • Limited data exists on pediatric COVID-19 hospitalizations in Lebanon.
  • This study addresses the scarcity of information on clinical features and hospitalization duration for children with COVID-19 in Lebanon.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To describe the clinical characteristics of pediatric COVID-19 hospitalizations in Lebanon.
  • To identify factors associated with prolonged length of stay (LOS) in hospitalized children with COVID-19.
  • To inform clinical risk stratification and resource planning in similar settings.

Main Methods:

  • Retrospective, observational study at Sheikh Ragheb Harb University Hospital.
  • Inclusion of 127 patients under 18 years hospitalized with confirmed COVID-19 (January-December 2021).
  • Data collection on demographics, clinical presentation, labs, imaging, treatment, and outcomes; bivariate and multivariable analyses for LOS predictors.

Main Results:

  • Median age was 0.6 years; 66.1% were male. Common symptoms included fever (71.7%) and cough (52.0%).
  • Only 3.9% required ICU admission or oxygen therapy; one case (0.8%) of MIS-C was reported. No mortality.
  • Median LOS was 3 days. Factors associated with longer LOS included pulmonary consolidation, oxygen requirement, ICU admission, and use of antibiotics and steroids.

Conclusions:

  • The majority of hospitalized children with COVID-19 had mild disease.
  • Radiological pneumonia and the need for anti-inflammatory or antimicrobial therapies were independent predictors of extended hospitalization.
  • Findings support targeted early interventions and resource planning for pediatric COVID-19 management in resource-limited settings.

Keywords:
covid-19hospitalizationlebanonlength of staymis-cpediatrics

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