Update on COVID-19 in the pediatric population at University Hospital of Oran. A retrospective study
Year: 2024
Type: article
Study design: Observational Study
Abstract: Introduction. The spread of the novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2, discovered in China in January 2020, led to a pandemic in Algeria as early as February. Children and adolescents under the age of 18 were much more rarely affected than adults and account for 1-5% of all cases described to date. Initially, the morbidity concerning the child remained low, the pediatric forms of the disease were most often familial, moderate (fever, cough, asthenia), even sometimes asymptomatic, death was an extremely rare event. The purpose of this article is to describe the pediatric specificities of covid 19 viral infection concerning children. Methods. A study was conducted from 1st March to 30th December 2020 at the University Hospital of Oran (EHUO). We used the clinical records using a pre-established questionnaire. Descriptive statistical analysis was performed to determine frequencies and percentages. Results. 302 children were admitted with a mean age of 8.04 ± 0.2 years old. Children were most often asymptomatic and very few of them had presented a mild form; all were admitted with their parents, in different hospital departments welcoming COVID patients. PCR was positive in 40% of cases. A multisystemic inflammatory syndrome during post COVID 19 was noted among three patients. Conclusion. Access to quality medical care during the pandemic was facilitated by the organization of a COVID-19 emergency triage unit in the crèche of our establishment. Children represented only a small percentage of cases of acute SARS-CoV-2 infection and were generally asymptomatic, or had mild to moderate symptoms.
Authors: Djamila-Djahida BATOUCHE, Zakaria Zoheir ADDOU, Kamel ELHALIMI, Amel BOUGUERRA, Fouzia BOUNOUA, Djilali BATOUCHE, Sid Ahmed BAKRI, Houcine SADDOK, Fatima Zohra LATRECHE, Sara-Halima MOHAMMEDI
Institution: Université Oran 1 Ahmed Ben Bella
Language: English
Subfield: Infectious Diseases
Field: Medicine
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: diamond
OpenAlex ID: W4404901351