Anita Uka (Switzerland)

University of Fribourg Faculty of Science and Medicine
After graduating from medical school at University of Lausanne in 2019, I have been working as a paediatric resident at the Fribourg Hospital since November 2019. I have a strong interest for academic research and I have started the project about SARS-CoV-2 infections in children in Switzerland in 2020 under the supervision of Dr. Petra Zimmermann and Dr. Nicole Ritz.

Presenter of 1 Presentation

 Conference Calendar

PAEDIATRIC SARS-COV2 INFECTIONS IN SWITZERLAND (ID 432)

Session Name
1893 - ORAL PRESENTATIONS 02: COVID CLINICAL AND EPIDEMIOLOGY (ID 36)
Lecture Time
10:07 - 10:14
Room
Hall 02
Presenter

Abstract

Background

COVID-19 manifests distinctively across different age groups. Robust, population-based data from active surveillance is necessary to understand and optimally handle this new infection in children. This prosopective nationwide study summarises key data on infants, children and adolescents with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infections in Switzerland.

Methods

Data were collected through the Swiss Paediatric Surveillance Unit (SPSU) from children with laboratory-confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection presenting to 33 paediatric hospitals in Switzerland from March to October 2020 (during both epidemic peaks). All children aged less than 18 years old cared for at a Swiss hospital (ambulatory and hospitalised) were included.

Results

In total, 678 children were included. The median age was 12.2 (IQR 5.0-14.6) years, 316 (47%) were female and 106 (16%) had comorbidities. 126 (19%) children were hospitalised, 16 (2%) admitted to ICU. In children aged < 2 years, fever, cough and rhinorrhoea were the most common symptoms and in adolescents fever, cough and headache. Hospitalised children more often presented with fever (96 [76%] vs 209 [38%], p-value<0.01) and rash (16 [1%] vs 6 [1%], p-value<0.01). Anosmia/dysgeusia was more prevalent in ambulatory children (73 [13.3%] vs 3 [2.4%], p-value<0.01). 15 (2%) were treated with corticosteroids, nine (1%) with immunoglobulins and nine (1%) with inotropes. 28 (4%) children experienced complications, cardiovascular complications were the most frequnent (11 [2%]). A positive household-member was identified in 45% and community-acquired infection in 13%.

Conclusions

This study confirms that COVID-19 is mostly a mild disease in children and usually does not require specifiy treatment. However, children can present critically ill. With case numbers still rising, continuous observation is necessary to further understand the disease in children, guide therapy and evaluate the necessity for vaccination in children.

Clinical Trial Registration

The study has received ethical approval by the Ethikkommission Nordwest- und Zentralschweiz (EKNZ 2020-01130).

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