Characteristics of Children Diagnosed With SARS-CoV-2 in the Ambulatory Setting

Abstract

The objective of this study was to characterize the clinical presentation and outcomes of children and adolescents testing positive for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) in the ambulatory setting. We found that about 8% of children tested positive for SARS-CoV-2, with the large majority being symptomatic (80%). The average age of our population was 12.5 years, and females and males were affected equally. However, African American patients (62%) were substantially more likely to test positive compared with other races. Children in this study tended to have a mild course, mostly presenting with respiratory symptoms, and very few required hospitalization. As the epidemiology of the pandemic evolves, it will be important to monitor the effects that changing variants have on infected children and the impact that vaccination programs have on mitigating infection risk.

From the original SARS-CoV-2 strain to the Omicron variant: Predictors of COVID-19 in ambulatory symptomatic children

“…Each variant of SARS-CoV-2 could induce the different signs and symptoms of COVID-19 in children [12]. However, as shown in Tables 2 and 3, the most significant differences were observed between the Omicron period and the other epidemic waves.…”

“…The literature on COVID-19 acute signs and symptoms in ambulatory settings is scarce (hospital emergency departments, ambulatory pediatricians, or family physicians) [11]. A recent study evaluated the clinical presentation and outcomes of children and adolescents who tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 in ambulatory settings, but it took place in the early stage of the pandemic, from March 2020 to November 2020, long before the spread of the Delta and Omicron variants [12].…”