Maria del Valle Juarez (Argentina)
Ricardo Gutierrez Children`s Hospital EpidemiologyPresenter of 1 Presentation
EXPERIENCE OF 1,517 COVID-19 PEDIATRIC CASES IN ARGENTINA: MULTICENTER STUDY (ID 537)
Abstract
Background
Since COVID-19 pandemic started, preliminary evidence suggests that children are as likely as adults to get infected, but most of them have asymptomatic infection or mild disease. Pediatric multisystem inflammatory syndrome (PIMS) is a novel condition that emerged during this pandemic. The aim of this study was to describe clinical and epidemiological aspects of pediatric COVID-19 infection in 10 centers in Argentina.
Methods
Prospective, multicenter, observational and analytical cohort study. Confirmed cases between 0 to 18 years of age were included consecutively according to the case definition of the Argentina MOH, March to December 2020. Detection of SARS CoV-2 was confirmed by RT-PCR in nasopharyngeal aspirate/swab.
Results
A total of 1,517 COVID-19 confirmed cases were included, 90% between May-October (winter/spring). Median age:5.3 years (interquartile range-IQR-:1.1-10.9 years), 23.4% <1year; 49.8% male. Cases clasiffication: asymptomatic 24.3%, mild 64.4%, moderate 5.6%, severe 5%, critical 0.7%. Almost 70% (n=1,044) were hospitalized: median length of stay 7 days (IQR:3-9). . Cases characteristics in table 1. There were 3 fatal cases (0.2%) with underlying diseases (chronic kidney disease, myasthenia gravis). PIMS was diagnosed in 32 cases, median age 5.5 years (IQR:3-9), 78% received intravenous gamma-globulin, 62% systemic corticosteroids and 47% required intensive care.
Conclusions
In our study most cases were mild, had history of close contact with COVID-19 cases, PIMS was reported in 2% and COVID-19 lethality was 0.2%.