tetano
Editor, Senior Moderator
Emerg Med Australas. 2020 May 10. doi: 10.1111/1742-6723.13550. [Epub ahead of print]
SARS-CoV-2 Testing and Outcomes in the First 30 Days after the First Case of COVID-19 at an Australian Children's Hospital.
Ibrahim LF[SUP]1,[/SUP][SUP]2,[/SUP][SUP]3,[/SUP][SUP]4[/SUP], Tosif S[SUP]1,[/SUP][SUP]2,[/SUP][SUP]3[/SUP], McNab S[SUP]1,[/SUP][SUP]2,[/SUP][SUP]3[/SUP], Hall S[SUP]1,[/SUP][SUP]2[/SUP], Lee HJ[SUP]5,[/SUP][SUP]6[/SUP], Lewena S[SUP]1,[/SUP][SUP]7,[/SUP][SUP]5[/SUP], Daley AJ[SUP]8[/SUP], Crawford N[SUP]1,[/SUP][SUP]2,[/SUP][SUP]3[/SUP], Steer A[SUP]1,[/SUP][SUP]2,[/SUP][SUP]9[/SUP], Bryant PA[SUP]1,[/SUP][SUP]2,[/SUP][SUP]3,[/SUP][SUP]9,[/SUP][SUP]4[/SUP], Babl FE[SUP]1,[/SUP][SUP]7,[/SUP][SUP]5[/SUP].
Author information
Abstract
OBJECTIVE:
International studies describing COVID-19 in children have shown low proportions of paediatric cases and generally a mild clinical course. We aimed to present early data on children tested for SARS-CoV-2 at a large Australian tertiary children's hospital according to the state health department guidelines, which varied over time.
METHODS:
We conducted a retrospective cohort study at The Royal Children's Hospital, Melbourne, Australia. It included all paediatric patients (aged 0-18 years) who presented to the Emergency Department (ED) or the Respiratory Infection Clinic (RIC) and were tested for SARS-CoV-2. The 30-day study period commenced after the first confirmed positive case was detected at the hospital on 21[SUP]st[/SUP] March 2020, until 19[SUP]th[/SUP] April 2020. We recorded epidemiological and clinical data.
RESULTS:
There were 433 patients in whom SARS-CoV-2 testing was performed in ED (331 (76%)) or RIC (102 (24%)). There were 4 (0.9%) who had positive SARS-CoV-2 detected, none of whom were admitted to hospital or developed severe disease. Of these SARS-CoV-2 positive patients, 1/4 (25%) had a comorbidity, which was asthma. Of the SARS-CoV-2 negative patients, 196/429 (46%) had comorbidities. Risk factors for COVID-19 were identified in 4/4 SARS-CoV-2 positive patients and 47/429 (11%) SARS-CoV-2 negative patients.
CONCLUSIONS:
Our study identified a very low rate of SARS-CoV-2 positive cases in children presenting to a tertiary ED or RIC, none of whom were admitted to hospital. A high proportion of patients who were SARS-CoV-2 negative had comorbidities.
This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
KEYWORDS:
Australia; COVID-19; SARS-CoV-2; children; novel coronavirus
PMID:32390285DOI:10.1111/1742-6723.13550
SARS-CoV-2 Testing and Outcomes in the First 30 Days after the First Case of COVID-19 at an Australian Children's Hospital.
Ibrahim LF[SUP]1,[/SUP][SUP]2,[/SUP][SUP]3,[/SUP][SUP]4[/SUP], Tosif S[SUP]1,[/SUP][SUP]2,[/SUP][SUP]3[/SUP], McNab S[SUP]1,[/SUP][SUP]2,[/SUP][SUP]3[/SUP], Hall S[SUP]1,[/SUP][SUP]2[/SUP], Lee HJ[SUP]5,[/SUP][SUP]6[/SUP], Lewena S[SUP]1,[/SUP][SUP]7,[/SUP][SUP]5[/SUP], Daley AJ[SUP]8[/SUP], Crawford N[SUP]1,[/SUP][SUP]2,[/SUP][SUP]3[/SUP], Steer A[SUP]1,[/SUP][SUP]2,[/SUP][SUP]9[/SUP], Bryant PA[SUP]1,[/SUP][SUP]2,[/SUP][SUP]3,[/SUP][SUP]9,[/SUP][SUP]4[/SUP], Babl FE[SUP]1,[/SUP][SUP]7,[/SUP][SUP]5[/SUP].
Author information
Abstract
OBJECTIVE:
International studies describing COVID-19 in children have shown low proportions of paediatric cases and generally a mild clinical course. We aimed to present early data on children tested for SARS-CoV-2 at a large Australian tertiary children's hospital according to the state health department guidelines, which varied over time.
METHODS:
We conducted a retrospective cohort study at The Royal Children's Hospital, Melbourne, Australia. It included all paediatric patients (aged 0-18 years) who presented to the Emergency Department (ED) or the Respiratory Infection Clinic (RIC) and were tested for SARS-CoV-2. The 30-day study period commenced after the first confirmed positive case was detected at the hospital on 21[SUP]st[/SUP] March 2020, until 19[SUP]th[/SUP] April 2020. We recorded epidemiological and clinical data.
RESULTS:
There were 433 patients in whom SARS-CoV-2 testing was performed in ED (331 (76%)) or RIC (102 (24%)). There were 4 (0.9%) who had positive SARS-CoV-2 detected, none of whom were admitted to hospital or developed severe disease. Of these SARS-CoV-2 positive patients, 1/4 (25%) had a comorbidity, which was asthma. Of the SARS-CoV-2 negative patients, 196/429 (46%) had comorbidities. Risk factors for COVID-19 were identified in 4/4 SARS-CoV-2 positive patients and 47/429 (11%) SARS-CoV-2 negative patients.
CONCLUSIONS:
Our study identified a very low rate of SARS-CoV-2 positive cases in children presenting to a tertiary ED or RIC, none of whom were admitted to hospital. A high proportion of patients who were SARS-CoV-2 negative had comorbidities.
This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
KEYWORDS:
Australia; COVID-19; SARS-CoV-2; children; novel coronavirus
PMID:32390285DOI:10.1111/1742-6723.13550