Coronavirus disease in children in the Omsk region

Abstract

The study of the infection caused by the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus is highly relevant. Objective: To study the clinical and epidemiological features of a new coronavirus infection in children in the city of Omsk and the Omsk region during the 2020 epidemic. Materials and methods. We conducted a retrospective study of 68 children aged 1—18 years diagnosed with new coronavirus disease and receiving medical treatment in Infectious Diseases Hospital of City Children's Clinical Hospital № in Omsk between April and September 2020. In all children, the diagnosis was confirmed by examination of nasopharyngeal / oropharyngeal swabs for RNA SARS-CoV-2 by PCR. Results. Among those hospitalized prevailed children over 10 years old (61.7%), no reliable difference based on sex was observed. 83.8% of children contacted with COVID-19-infected people. Most children had the new coronavirus infection in mild form (61.8%) with upper respiratory tract damage. Pneumonia was recorded only in 16.2% of examined children over the age of 10. The key clinical symptoms in childhood were: yawn hyperemia, fever and cough. Impaired sense of smell in the form of hyposmia and anosmia developed only in children over the age of 10. Leukopenia detection in blood in moderate forms correlated with the presence of pneumonia. Conclusion. Given the mild course of COVID-19 in children, early isolation and treatment on an outpatient basis should be considered the most effective approach to patient management.