Coronavirus Disease in Children: A Single-Center Study from Western Saudi Arabia

Abstract

Introduction. Local data in Saudi Arabia regarding pediatric SARS-CoV-2 infection is limited. This study is aimed at adding insight regarding the effect of the novel coronavirus on pediatric patients by studying the presentation, laboratory parameters, and disposition of SARS-CoV-2-infected pediatric patients in one center in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Methodology. A retrospective study was conducted at the International Medical Center (IMC) in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, to assess features of pediatric patients admitted with COVID-19 from April 2020 to September 2020. Results. A total of 43 patients were found to meet the study inclusion criteria. The most common presenting symptom was fever (53.5%) in study participants followed by complaints of cough, runny nose, and shortness of breath (37.2%). Lymphocytopenia was evident among 60% of those studied. Elevated C-Reactive Protein was remarkable in 24.9%. More than half of those (53.5%) studied required only supportive treatment. Conclusion. COVID-19 disease for the most part is mild in children with a varying clinical picture and nonspecific laboratory parameters. Further, large-scale national-based studies are needed to help in the early identification of pediatric cases at risk of complication due to COVID-19 infection hence providing proper and timely management, identifying population-specific disease pattern and perhaps targeted immunization.

Residual Cough and Asthma-like Symptoms Post-COVID-19 in Children

“…Multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C) is a unique medical phenomenon that occurs in children 2 to 6 weeks after infection; it develops in less than 0.1% of children with COVID-19 (median age 8.6 years) and requires intensive care support in 68% of cases [ 2 , 11 , 12 , 13 , 14 , 15 , 16 , 17 , 18 , 19 ]. One of the first reports on long-term COVID-19 in children was a case report of five Swedish children (median age: 12 years) who had symptoms lasting 6–8 months after acute respiratory infection symptoms [ 20 ].…”

Prognosis of COVID-19 in the middle eastern population, knowns and unknowns

“…In the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, studies have shown a dominant benign prognosis of COVID-19 disease in children. A substantial portion were asymptomatic ( Ahmad et al, 2021 ; Almuzaini et al, 2021 ; Hijazi et al, 2021 ) with this rate ranging from 27.9% ( Mosalli et al, 2021 ) to 54.6% ( Alharbi et al, 2021 ). Among symptomatic ones, the most common reported symptoms were fever, cough, runny nose, and shortness of breath ( Harbi et al, 2020 ; Ahmad et al, 2021 ; Alharbi et al, 2021 ; Alshengeti et al, 2021 ; Mosalli et al, 2021 ; Shahin et al, 2021 ; AlGhamdi et al, 2022 ).…”

“…A substantial portion were asymptomatic ( Ahmad et al, 2021 ; Almuzaini et al, 2021 ; Hijazi et al, 2021 ) with this rate ranging from 27.9% ( Mosalli et al, 2021 ) to 54.6% ( Alharbi et al, 2021 ). Among symptomatic ones, the most common reported symptoms were fever, cough, runny nose, and shortness of breath ( Harbi et al, 2020 ; Ahmad et al, 2021 ; Alharbi et al, 2021 ; Alshengeti et al, 2021 ; Mosalli et al, 2021 ; Shahin et al, 2021 ; AlGhamdi et al, 2022 ). Gastrointestinal symptoms were also described but to a lesser extent ( Almoosa et al, 2020 ; Alharbi et al, 2021 ; Almuzaini et al, 2021 ; Alnajjar et al, 2021 ; Shahin et al, 2021 ).…”

“…Furthermore, the length of hospital stay was significantly correlated with the presence of comorbidities, leucopenia ( Kari et al, 2021b ), high levels of absolute neutrophil count ( Shahin et al, 2021 ) as well as inflammatory markers such as ferritin, D-dimer, ESR and CRP ( Kari et al, 2021b ; Shahin et al, 2021 ). Indeed, the laboratory findings showed that among hospitalized patients, lymphocytopenia and leukopenia, in addition to elevated levels of ferritin, D-dimer, and C-reactive proteins, were encountered ( Almoosa et al, 2020 ; Alnajjar et al, 2021 ; Mosalli et al, 2021 ; Shahin et al, 2021 ). The mortality rate was very low in the infected children of this country, with this latter not exceeding four deaths among all reports ( Almoosa et al, 2020 ; Alnajjar et al, 2021 ; Alshengeti et al, 2021 ; Asseri et al, 2021 ; Hijazi et al, 2021 ; Kari et al, 2021b ; Mosalli et al, 2021 ; AlGhamdi et al, 2022 ).…”

“…Indeed, the laboratory findings showed that among hospitalized patients, lymphocytopenia and leukopenia, in addition to elevated levels of ferritin, D-dimer, and C-reactive proteins, were encountered ( Almoosa et al, 2020 ; Alnajjar et al, 2021 ; Mosalli et al, 2021 ; Shahin et al, 2021 ). The mortality rate was very low in the infected children of this country, with this latter not exceeding four deaths among all reports ( Almoosa et al, 2020 ; Alnajjar et al, 2021 ; Alshengeti et al, 2021 ; Asseri et al, 2021 ; Hijazi et al, 2021 ; Kari et al, 2021b ; Mosalli et al, 2021 ; AlGhamdi et al, 2022 ). Interestingly, in one study, it was found that 21% of hospitalized children infected with SARS-CoV-2 developed acute kidney injury.…”