Introduction: Children account for a relatively small proportion of laboratory-confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infections. In children, COVID-19 usually has a relatively mild course. However, in rare cases, severe disorders can be observed, and clinical manifestations may differ from adults.
Purpose: The aim of this study is to analyse the frequency, clinical picture and outcome of COVID-19 in children based on the experience from the tertiary care centre and regional sanitary-epidemiological office.
Methods: We report a study regarding 106 cases of confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection cases in PCR from a nasopharyngeal swab (age range 1-month - 17-years). In all cases, history was taken. In children who required hospital admission, physical examination and laboratory test were performed according to clinical indications.
Results: Twelve of the patients required admission to the hospital. The most common symptoms were anosmia and dysgeusia (75%) and headaches (49%) in outpatients and fever in hospitalised children (75%). Three children from the hospitalised group developed a severe course with increased inflammatory indexes. The clinical picture was more severe in younger children from the hospitalised group. Treatment options were regarded individually in all cases.
Conclusion: Our study is the first tour knowledge regarding the clinical course of COVID-19 in Polish children. In general, the clinical course of COVID-19 was mild with anosmia and dysgeusia as the most common symptoms. However, in hospitalised children, a severe progression of the disease and less typical signs as aplastic anaemia may be developed.
Keywords: Anosmia; Aplastic anaemia; COVID-19; Children; Clinical course; Dysgeusia.
Copyright © 2020 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.