COVID-19 in children across three Asian cosmopolitan regions. Issue 1 (1st January 2020)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Chua, Gilbert T.; Xiong, Xiaoli; Choi, Eun Hwa; Han, Mi Seon; Chang, Sung Hee; Jin, Byoung Lo; Lee, Eun Joo; Kim, Baek Nam; Kim, Min Kyoung; Doo, Kihyun; Seo, Ju Hee; Kim, Yae Jean; Kim, Yeo Jin; Park, Ji Young; Suh, Sun Bok; Lee, Hyunju; Cho, Eun Young; Kim, Dong Hyun; Kim, Jong Min; Kim, Hye Young; Park, Su Eun; Lee, Joon Kee; Jo, Dae Sun; Cho, Seung Man; Choi, Jae Hong; Jo, Kyo Jin; Choe, Young June; Kim, Ki Hwan; Chi, Shuiqing; Tang, Shao-tao; Qin, Huan; Zhou, Li Shan; Chen, Peng; Wong, Joshua Sung Chih; Chan, Kate Ching Ching; Yau, Felix Yat Sun; Lam, Shu Yan; Chow, Calvin Chit Kwong; Wong, Tak Wai; Chan, Victor Chi-man; Poon, Grace Wing Kit; Chow, Chun Bong; Wong, Wilfred H. S.; Lau, Yu Lung; Chan, Godfrey Chi Fung; Chui, Celine S. L.; Li, Xue; Ho, Marco Hok Kung; Wong, Ian C. K.; Tam, Paul Kwong Hang; To, Kelvin K. W.; Kim, Jong Hyun; Ip, Patrick; Kwan, Mike Yat Wah;
• Is Part Of: Emerging microbes & infections. Volume 9:Issue 1(2020)
• Page Start: 2588
• Page End: 2596
• Publication Date: 2020-01-01
• Subjects: COVID-19 -- Asia -- children -- travel history -- age-stratified; Medical microbiology -- Periodicals; Communicable diseases -- Periodicals; Infection -- Periodicals; 616.9041
• DOI: 10.1080/22221751.2020.1846462
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 2222-1751

Abstract

ABSTRACT : As another wave of COVID-19 outbreak has approached in July 2020, a larger scale COVID-19 pediatric Asian cohort summarizing the clinical observations is warranted. Children confirmed with COVID-19 infection from the Republic of Korea, the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) and Wuhan, China, during their first waves of local outbreaks were included. Their clinical characteristics and the temporal sequences of the first waves of local paediatric outbreaks were compared. Four hundred and twenty three children with COVID-19 were analyzed. Wuhan had the earliest peak, followed by Korea and HKSAR. Compared with Korea and Wuhan, patients in HKSAR were significantly older (mean age: 12.9 vs. 10.8 vs. 6.6 years, p < 0.001, respectively) and had more imported cases (87.5% vs. 16.5% vs. 0%, p < 0.001, respectively). The imported cases were also older (13.4 vs. 7.6 years, p < 0.001). More cases in HKSAR were asymptomatic compared to Korea and Wuhan (45.5% vs. 22.0% vs. 20.9%, p < 0.001, respectively), and significantly more patients from Wuhan developed fever (40.6% vs. 29.7% vs. 21.6%, p =0.003, respectively). There were significantly less imported cases than domestic cases developing fever after adjusting for age and region of origin ( p = 0.046). 5.4% to 10.8% of patients reported anosmia and ageusia. None developed pediatric multisystem inflammatory syndrome temporally associated with SARS-CoV-2 (PMIS-TS). In general, adolescents were more likely to be asymptomatic and less likely to develop fever, but required longer hospital stays. In conclusion, majority patients in this pediatric Asian cohort had a mild disease. None developed PIMS-TS. Their clinical characteristics were influenced by travel history and age.