Hospitalized children with COVID-19 infection during large outbreak of SARS-CoV-2 Omicron strain: a retrospective study in Chaozhou, Guangdong, China

Abstract

Abstract Objective We aimed to investigate the clinical findings of hospitalized pediatric COVID-19 patients by the end of 2022. Method All confirmed children with COVID-19 infection admitted into Chaozhou Central Hospital from December 19, 2022 to February 1, 2023 were included. Detailed clinical data of those children were evaluated retrospectively. Results A total of 286 children, ranging in age from 1 month to 13 years old, were diagnosed with SARS-CoV-2 infection. Among these cases, 138 (48.3%) were categorized as mild, 126 (44.0%) as moderate, and 22 (7.7%) as severe/critical. Symptoms varied among the children and included fever, upper respiratory tract symptoms, convulsions, sore throat, poor appetite, dyspnea, and gastrointestinal symptoms. Notably, febrile convulsions were observed in 96 (33.6%) patients, while acute laryngitis was documented in 50 (17.5%) cases. Among the severe/critical patients, eight developed multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C), and tragically, one patient's condition worsened and resulted in death. Furthermore, MRI scans revealed abnormal brain signals in six severe/critical patients. The severe/critical group also exhibited more pronounced laboratory abnormalities, including decreased hemoglobin and elevated ALT, AST, LDH, and CK levels. Conclusions Febrile convulsions and acute laryngitis are frequently observed in children diagnosed with SARS-CoV-2 Omicron infection. Moreover, multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C) and abnormal neuroimaging appear to be relatively common phenomena in severe/critical cases.