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Medicine (Baltimore)
. 2021 Mar 19;100(11):e24315.
doi: 10.1097/MD.0000000000024315.
Co-infections of SARS-CoV-2 with multiple common respiratory pathogens in infected children: A retrospective study
Ying Li 1 , Haizhou Wang 2 3 , Fan Wang 2 3 , Xiaoxia Lu 1 , Hui Du 1 , Jiali Xu 1 , Feng Han 1 , Liqiong Zhang 1 , Maorong Zhang 1
Affiliations
- PMID: 33725930
- DOI: 10.1097/MD.0000000000024315
Abstract
Since the outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in Wuhan, considerable attention has been paid on its epidemiology and clinical characteristics in children patients. However, it is also crucial for clinicians to summarize and investigate the co-infection of SARS-CoV-2 in children.We retrospectively reviewed the clinical manifestations, laboratory findings, and imaging characteristics of COVID-19 patients in co-infection group (CI, n = 27) and single infection group (SI, n = 54). Samples were tested for multiple pathogens.A high incidence (27/81, 33%) of co-infection in children with COVID-19 was revealed. The most frequent co-infected pathogen was mycoplasma pneumoniae (MP, 20/81, 25%), followed by virus (6/81, 7%), and bacteria (4/81, 5%). No significant difference in clinical characteristics, laboratory examinations, or hospital stay was observed between the patients with co-infections and those with monomicrobial, only lower in white blood cell counts (CI: 5.54 ? 0.36 vs SI: 7.38 ? 0.37, P = .002), neutrophil counts (CI: 2.20 ? 0.20 vs SI: 2.92 ? 0.23, P = .024) and lymphocyte counts (CI: 2.72 ? 0.024 vs SI: 3.87 ? 0.28, P = .006). Compared with the patients with monomicrobial, chest imaging of those with co-infections showed consolidation in more cases (CI: 29.6% vs SI: 11.1%, P = .038) and duration of positive in nucleic acid was shorter (CI: 6.69 ? 0.82 vs SI: 9.69 ? 0.74, P = .015).Co-infection was relatively common in children with COVID-19, almost 1/3 had co-infection, most commonly caused by MP. Co-infection did not cause a significant exacerbation in clinical manifestations.