Published in:
Open Access
01-08-2020 | COVID-19 | Short Communication
Characteristic of COVID-19 infection in pediatric patients: early findings from two Italian Pediatric Research Networks
Authors:
Niccolò Parri, Anna Maria Magistà, Federico Marchetti, Barbara Cantoni, Alberto Arrighini, Marta Romanengo, Enrico Felici, Antonio Urbino, Liviana Da Dalt, Lucio Verdoni, Benedetta Armocida, Benedetta Covi, Ilaria Mariani, Roberta Giacchero, Anna Maria Musolino, Marco Binotti, Paolo Biban, Silvia Fasoli, Chiara Pilotto, Flavia Nicoloso, Massimiliano Raggi, Elisabetta Miorin, Danilo Buonsenso, Massimo Chiossi, Rino Agostiniani, Anna Plebani, Maria Antonietta Barbieri, Marcello Lanari, Serena Arrigo, Elena Zoia, Matteo Lenge, Stefano Masi, Egidio Barbi, Marzia Lazzerini, on behalf of the CONFIDENCE and COVID-19 Italian Pediatric Study Networks
Published in:
European Journal of Pediatrics
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Issue 8/2020
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Abstract
Detailed data on clinical presentations and outcomes of children with COVID-19 in Europe are still lacking. In this descriptive study, we report on 130 children with confirmed COVID-19 diagnosed by 28 centers (mostly hospitals), in 10 regions in Italy, during the first months of the pandemic. Among these, 67 (51.5%) had a relative with COVID-19 while 34 (26.2%) had comorbidities, with the most frequent being respiratory, cardiac, or neuromuscular chronic diseases. Overall, 98 (75.4%) had an asymptomatic or mild disease, 11 (8.5%) had moderate disease, 11 (8.5%) had a severe disease, and 9 (6.9%) had a critical presentation with infants below 6 months having significantly increased risk of critical disease severity (OR 5.6, 95% CI 1.3 to 29.1). Seventy-five (57.7%) children were hospitalized, 15 (11.5%) needed some respiratory support, and nine (6.9%) were treated in an intensive care unit. All recovered.
Conclusion:This descriptive case series of children with COVID-19, mostly encompassing of cases enrolled at hospital level, suggest that COVID-19 may have a non-negligible rate of severe presentations in selected pediatric populations with a relatively high rates of comorbidities. More studies are needed to further understand the presentation and outcomes of children with COVID-19 in children with special needs.
What is Known: • There is limited evidence on the clinical presentation and outcomes of children with COVID-19 in Europe, and almost no evidence on characteristics and risk factors of severe cases. |
What is New: • Among a case series of 130 children, mostly diagnosed at hospital level, and with a relatively high rate (26.2%) of comorbidities, about three-quarter had an asymptomatic or mild disease. • However, 57.7% were hospitalized, 11.5% needed some respiratory support, and 6.9% were treated in an intensive care unit. |