RESUMO
Background: Viral respiratory tract infections are the most common triggers of wheezing illnesses in children. Though rare, COVID-19 infection in children may trigger a viral-induced wheeze that requires distinguishing from other viral and asthma triggers. Objectives: The current study aimed to assess the role of COVID-19 in causation of viral induced wheeze in pediatrics age group in our locality. Methods: The study included 30 pediatrics cases = 2 months attending the Emergency Room and Department of Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine, Zagazig University Hospital. According to the inclusion criteria for the study, patients were aged from 2 - 144 months with mean age (21.1±35.3 month). They were 13 females (43.3%) and 17 males (56.7%). Twelve patients had positive family history of asthma (40.0%). The standard technique for confirming COVID-19 is the real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). Results: 30 children hospitalized with wheezing, 24 patients (80%) presented with difficult breathing, 18 patients (60%) were feverish, and 17 patients (56.7%) had cough. Running nose was noted in 9 patients (30%), grunting was observed in only one patient (3.3%). The mean O2 saturation of all patients was 91.8±2.6 and ranged from (92-95%). GIT manifestation was reported in 13.3%. The two confirmed cases has positive PCR test for Covid-19, a 7 year old male and a 5 year old female. Positive family history of COVID-19 was reported in both cases, neither of them has blood eosinophilia, they were on regular controller medication. Patients presented with wheeze, cough, difficult breathing, with no grunting or GIT manifestation. They were treated for 2 to 3 days by O2, inhaled B agonists plus short course of systemic steroids. Conclusion: Covid-19 is uncommon cause of viral induced wheeze among our patients. Only two cases of covid-19 related asthma exacerbation were reported in our study. [ FROM AUTHOR] Copyright of Zagazig University Medical Journal is the property of Association of Arab Universities and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full . (Copyright applies to all s.)