Background: The reference standard for the molecular diagnostic testing for COVID-19 is the use of nasopharyngeal or combined nasopharyngeal and oropharyngeal (NP/OP) swabs. Saliva has been proposed as a minimally invasive specimen whose collection reduces the risks for health care personnel.Objective: To assess the suitability of saliva for COVID-19 diagnosis as a replacement of the reference standard NP/OP swab in the setting of a tertiary care pediatric unit.Study design: A paired study based in the prospective cohort design in patients suspected of having COVID-19.Methods: RT-PCR was used to detect SARS-CoV-2 in paired samples of saliva and NP/OP swab collected from May through August 2020 from 156 pediatric participants, of whom 128 has at least one comorbidity and 91 showed clinical symptoms related to SARS-CoV-2 infection. Additionally, we studied a group of 326 members of the hospital staff, of whom 271 had symptoms related to SARS-CoV-2 infection.Results: In the group of pediatric participants the sensitivity of the diagnostic test in saliva was 82.3% (95% CI 56.6–96.2) and the specificity 95.6% (95% CI 90.8–98.4). The prevalence of COVID-19 was 10.9% (17/156). In 6 of the 23 participants who tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 in at least one specimen type, the virus was detected in saliva but not in NP/OP swab, while in 3 participants the NP/OP swab was positive and saliva negative. In the group of adults, the sensitivity of the test in saliva was 77.8% (95% CI 67.2–86.3) and prevalence 24.8% (81/326). Discordant results between the two types of specimens showed a significant association with low viral load in the pharynx of adults but not of pediatric participants.Interpretation: In the context of a pediatric tertiary care hospital, the sensibility of the test in saliva is not high enough to replace the use of NP/OP swab for COVID-19 diagnosis. Neither NP/OP swab nor saliva could detect all the participants infected with SARS-CoV-2.

Background: Congenital pulmonary malformations are a rare cause of neonatal morbidity. Some of them have a common origin, which allows the identification of combined lesions. Its diagnosis can be made prenatally by ultrasound, with the limitation that this study is performed in specialized centers and depends on the expertise of the operator. The association of pulmonary sequestration and congenital malformation of the airway has been described in approximately 40-60 cases since its first description in 1949. Many lesions are not perceptible in intrauterine life, and in the neonatal period, there are recurrent respiratory symptoms that in some cases are associated with a congenital pulmonary malformation. case report: We report the case of a young infant, who was diagnosed with pulmonary sequestration at 24 weeks of gestational age, undergoing intrauterine surgical treatment with a report of complete resolution of the malformation in posterior ultrasounds. She was valued by pediatric pneumology at four months of age, where angiotomography was performed, and the presence of pulmonary sequestration was confirmed by lobectomy. The histopathological study reported extralobar pulmonary sequestration with congenital malformation of the pulmonary airway type 2. The histopathological study identified these combined lesions. The treatment of choice was surgical. conclusions: Upon the confirmation of a malformation, we emphasize the importance of performing screening to search for other that could be associated.

Upon the confirmation of a malformation, we emphasize the importance of performing a screening in order to search for other that could be associated.