A new, quick and safe technique with a high success rate is described, whereby the discomfort and waste of time usually associated with bag collection methods can be avoided.

No abstract

Performing urine dipstick tests using urine samples obtained by the clean-catch method was an accurate screening test for diagnosing UTIs in febrile infants of less than 90 days old. This provided a good alternative to bladder catheterisation when screening for UTIs.

Objectives To determine the time to RT-PCR negativity after the first positive RT-PCR test, factors associated with longer time to RT-PCR negativity, proportion of children seroconverting after proven SARS-CoV-2 infection, and factors associated with the lack of seroconversion. Study design EPICO-AEP is a multicenter study conducted in Spanish children to assess the characteristics of COVID-19. In a subset of patients, three serial RT-PCR tests on nasopharyngeal swab specimens were performed after the first RT-PCR test, and IgG serology for SARS-CoV-2 antibodies was performed in the acute and follow up (<14 and ≥14 days after diagnosis) phase. Results In total, 324 patients were included in the study. Median [IQR] time to RT-PCR negativity was 17 [8–29] days, and 35% of patients remained positive >4 weeks after the first RT-PCR test. The probability of RT-PCR negativity did not differ across groups defined by sex, disease severity, immunosuppressive drugs, or clinical phenotype. Globally, 24% of children failed to seroconvert after infection. Seroconversion was associated with hospitalization, persistence of RT-PCR positivity and days of fever. Conclusions Time to RT-PCR negativity was long, regardless of severity of symptoms or other patients’ features. This should be considered when interpreting RT-PCR results in a child with symptoms, especially those with mild symptoms. Seroprevalence and post-immunization studies should consider that one in four infected children fail to seroconvert.