SARS-CoV-2 testing and outcomes in the first 30 days after the first case of COVID-19 at an Australian children's hospital
- Abstract
- OBJECTIVE: International studies describing COVID-19 in children have shown low proportions of paediatric cases and generally a mild clinical course. We aimed to present early data on children tested for SARS-CoV-2 at a large Australian tertiary children's hospital according to the state health department guidelines, which varied over time. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective cohort study at The Royal Children's Hospital, Melbourne, Australia. It included all paediatric patients (aged 0-18 years) who presented to the ED or the Respiratory Infection Clinic (RIC) and were tested for SARS-CoV-2. The 30-day study period commenced after the first confirmed positive case was detected at the hospital on 21 March 2020, until 19 April 2020. We recorded epidemiological and clinical data. RESULTS: There were 433 patients in whom SARS-CoV-2 testing was performed in ED (331 [76%]) or RIC (102 [24%]). There were four (0.9%) who had positive SARS-CoV-2 detected, none of whom were admitted to hospital or developed severe disease. Of these SARS-CoV-2 positive patients, 1/4 (25%) had a comorbidity, which was asthma. Of the SARS-CoV-2 negative patients, 196/429 (46%) had comorbidities. Risk factors for COVID-19 were identified in 4/4 SARS-CoV-2 positive patients and 47/429 (11%) SARS-CoV-2 negative patients. CONCLUSION: Our study identified a very low rate of SARS-CoV-2 positive cases in children presenting to a tertiary ED or RIC, none of whom were admitted to hospital. A high proportion of patients who were SARS-CoV-2 negative had comorbidities.
- All Author(s)
- L. F. Ibrahim
; S. Tosif
; S. McNab
; S. Hall
; H. J. Lee
; S. Lewena
; A. J. Daley
; N. W. Crawford
; A. C. Steer
; P. A. Bryant
; F. E. Babl
- Issued Date
- 2020
- Type
- Article
- Keyword
- Australia; children; COVID-19; novel coronavirus; SARS-CoV-2
- ISSN
- 1742-6731
- Citation Title
- Emergency Medicine Australasia
- Citation Volume
- 32
- Citation Number
- 5
- Citation Start Page
- 801
- Citation End Page
- 808
- Language(ISO)
- eng
- DOI
- 10.1111/1742-6723.13550
- URI
- http://schca-ir.schmc.ac.kr/handle/2022.oak/2321
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