Subject(s)
COVID-19 , Nephrotic Syndrome , Child , Humans , Immunosuppressive Agents , Kidney , Nephrotic Syndrome/diagnosis , SARS-CoV-2Subject(s)
Appendicitis , COVID-19 , Systemic Inflammatory Response Syndrome , Acute Disease , Appendicitis/diagnosis , Child , Diagnosis, Differential , Humans , SARS-CoV-2Subject(s)
COVID-19 , Cystic Fibrosis , Respiratory Syncytial Virus Infections , Child , Humans , Palivizumab , SARS-CoV-2Subject(s)
Asthma/complications , Asthma/therapy , COVID-19/complications , COVID-19/therapy , Hospitalization , Asthma/diagnosis , COVID-19/diagnosis , COVID-19/epidemiology , Child, Preschool , Disease Progression , Female , Humans , Infant , Male , Oman/epidemiology , Prognosis , Severity of Illness IndexABSTRACT
OBJECTIVES: To describe the epidemiology, clinical and laboratory features, and outcome of children hospitalized with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in the Middle East. METHODS: A multicenter retrospective study of children hospitalized with COVID-19 in 7 centers across Oman between February and July 2020. RESULTS: In total, 56 children <14 years old required hospitalization in 7 Omani centers over 5 months (February - July 2020). Thirty-seven (68%) children were admitted with uncomplicated COVID-19, 13 (23%) with pneumonia and 5 (9%) with multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children. Infants constituted 41% of cases (23/56), approximately half of whom (12/23, 52%) were <2-months old. Fever was the most common symptom (46, 82%), followed by respiratory symptoms (33, 59%), and gastrointestinal symptoms (31, 55%). Twenty-two (39%) children had underlying medical conditions: sickle cell disease (7, 13%), chronic respiratory disease (4, 7%) and severe neurological impairment (4, 7%). Leukocytosis, elevated inflammatory markers and anemia were independently associated with intensive care admission. There were no mortalities related to admission with COVID-19 in this cohort. CONCLUSION: Most of the children hospitalized with COVID-19 had a mild course and a satisfactory outcome. Sickle cell disease is the most common comorbidity associated with pediatric admission of COVID-19 in Oman.