Multicentre Italian study of SARS-CoV-2 infection in children and adolescents, preliminary data as at 10 April 2020

Euro Surveill. 2020 May;25(18):2000600. doi: 10.2807/1560-7917.ES.2020.25.18.2000600.

Abstract

Data on features of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) in children and adolescents are scarce. We report preliminary results of an Italian multicentre study comprising 168 laboratory-confirmed paediatric cases (median: 2.3 years, range: 1 day-17.7 years, 55.9% males), of which 67.9% were hospitalised and 19.6% had comorbidities. Fever was the most common symptom, gastrointestinal manifestations were frequent; two children required intensive care, five had seizures, 49 received experimental treatments and all recovered.

Keywords: SARS-CoV-2 infection; children; covid-19; hydroxychloroquine; pneumonia.

Publication types

  • Multicenter Study

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Antiviral Agents / therapeutic use
  • Betacoronavirus
  • COVID-19
  • COVID-19 Testing
  • Child
  • Child, Preschool
  • Chronic Disease / epidemiology*
  • Clinical Laboratory Techniques
  • Coinfection / epidemiology*
  • Coinfection / virology
  • Comorbidity
  • Coronavirus / isolation & purification*
  • Coronavirus Infections / diagnosis*
  • Coronavirus Infections / epidemiology
  • Coronavirus Infections / therapy
  • Diarrhea / etiology
  • Disease Outbreaks
  • Feces / virology
  • Female
  • Fever / etiology
  • Hospitals, Pediatric
  • Humans
  • Immunocompromised Host
  • Infant
  • Infant, Newborn
  • Italy / epidemiology
  • Male
  • Noninvasive Ventilation / methods
  • Pandemics / prevention & control*
  • Pneumonia, Viral / diagnosis*
  • Pneumonia, Viral / epidemiology
  • Pneumonia, Viral / therapy
  • Protease Inhibitors / therapeutic use
  • Retrospective Studies
  • SARS-CoV-2
  • Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome / diagnosis
  • Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome / epidemiology
  • Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome / therapy
  • Treatment Outcome

Substances

  • Antiviral Agents
  • Protease Inhibitors