Characteristic of COVID-19 infection in pediatric patients: early findings from a tertiary care center, Nagercoil, Tamil Nadu, India

Abstract

Background: The planet faces a new challenge with COVID-19 disease caused by novel SARS-CoV2. Pediatric COVID-19 is considered to be mild. Methods: The study aim was to describe the clinical presentation, diagnostic findings and outcome of a cohort of paediatric patients according to Ministry of health and family welfare (MOHFW) criteria, at KKGMCH a tertiary care facility in Kanyakumari district. It’s a retrospective chart review including data of children aged 0 to 12 years with COVID-19 from 20 March to 19 July 2020. Results: Of the 137 children with COVID-19, 17 (12.45%) were infants, 65 (35%) were 1-5 years and 72 (52.55%) were 6-12 years. Age didn’t have influence on acquiring the illness as p value is 0.125. Age had no influence on severity too as p value is 0.28. 46.7% were female and 53.3% were male. There was an apparent male preponderance with (OR 1.63, 95% CI 1.00 to 2.21) but a non-significant p value of 0.54. of the 34 (24.8%) mild symptomatic, 22 (64.7%) were males and 12 (35.2%) were females. The p value is 0.086 stating gender non-influential on severity. 129 (94.1%) children had contact history. The contacts were parents or close relatives. No child with comorbidity presented during this period. Most common clinical features were fever (8.76%), cough (6.6%), rhinorrhoea (2.2%), vomiting (2.9%) and diarrhoea (1.5%). Children never progressed to severe respiratory illness requiring intensive care as per MOHFW criteria. 1 (0.7%) presented with focal consolidation in chest x-ray. All 137 (100%) children got cured.Conclusion: Study concludes pediatric COVID-19 is a mild disease without mortality at beginning of pandemic in Kanyakumari district. Factors like age and gender neither influenced the occurrence of the disease nor the severity.