Clinical and epidemiological characteristics of children with SARS-CoV-2 infection: a case series in Sinaloa

Abstract

Background:The SARS-CoV-2 virus may affect both adults and children. Although COVID-19 has a lower prevalence in infancy and has been described as mild, the clinical characteristics may vary, and there is a possibility of complications. The objectives of this study were to describe the clinical and epidemiological aspects of confirmed COVID-19 pediatric cases in the state of Sinaloa, Mexico, during the first 3 months of the pandemic, and children admitted with COVID-19 to a secondary hospital. Methods: This case series includes all patients with SARS-CoV-2 infection confirmed by PCR (polymerase chain reaction) test, identified in the state epidemiological surveillance system (SISVER) between March 1 and May 31, 2020. Confirmed patients admitted to the Sinaloa Pediatric Hospital (HPS) in the same period are also described. Results: Fifty-one children with SARS-CoV-2 were included, of which ten were admitted to the HPS. The median age was 10 years. The more frequent symptoms were fever (78%), cough (67%), and headache (57%). Most cases were mild or asymptomatic. Three patients with comorbidities died. Only four of ten patients identified in HPS were admitted with the diagnosis of possible COVID-19. Conclusions: SARS-CoV-2 infection in children was mostly mild or asymptomatic, and the clinical presentation varied. There is a possibility of complications, especially in children with comorbidities.

Limited Additive Diagnostic Impact of Isolated Gastrointestinal Involvement for the Triage of Children with Suspected COVID-19

“…The vast majority of patients presented with fever, observed in more than 80%; respiratory syndrome was observed in almost 60% of the patients. This is in keeping with reports from other geographic areas [ 27 , 28 ]. The presence of respiratory or gastrointestinal symptoms was not related to the patient age, while younger children were more likely to have fever.…”

“…The proportion of patients with GI involvement observed in our experience is also comparable to the findings from other geographic areas [ 17 , 18 , 27 , 31 ]. For instance, of 244 consecutive children with COVID-19 from Wuhan during the period 21 January to 20 March 2020, 34 (13.9%) presented with GI symptoms (one of the following: diarrhea; nausea, and vomiting; abdominal pain; decreased feeding) on admission [ 15 ].…”

Symptoms of COVID-19 in children

“…The main outcome of the evaluated cases was cure. Supplementary Table S1 shows the data collected from the studies included in this review (12)(13)(14)(15)(16)(17)(18)(19)(20)(21)(22)(23)(24)(25)(26)(27)(28)(29)(30)(31).…”

“…China was the country that most described the symptoms of COVID-19 in children, totaling six articles included in this review (18,19,22,27,28,30). On the other hand, when considering the diversity of countries on the same continent, the American continent stands out (12)(13)(14)16,24,26,29,31). This finding highlights the magnitude of COVID-19, first detected in Asia and which, as it spread around the world, led to new studies in other regions that also investigated specificities, such as symptoms in children (1,5,(12)(13)(14)(15)(16)(17)(18)(19)(20)(21)(22)(23)(24)(25)(26)(27)(28)(29)(30)(31).…”

A Term Infant Presenting with COVID-19 Disease at Birth and a Croup-Like Cough

“…Initial reports of COVID-19 in children have suggested that infection with SARS-CoV-2 is typically associated with a milder presentation and course. [8][9][10][11][12][13][14][15][16] A scoping review by Tolu et al 17 looked at fifty-one studies and reported on 336 newborns who were screened for COVID-19. Of the 336 newborns, only 15 (4.4%) had positive results using a RT-PCR throat swab.…”