AUTHOR=Elghoudi Ahmed , Aldhanhani Huda , Ghatasheh Ghassan , Sharif Elsadeq , Narchi Hassib 

TITLE=Covid-19 in Children and Young Adolescents in Al Ain, United Arab Emirates- a Retrospective Cross-Sectional Study

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Pediatrics

VOLUME=8

YEAR=2021

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/pediatrics/articles/10.3389/fped.2020.603741

DOI=10.3389/fped.2020.603741

ISSN=2296-2360

ABSTRACT=<p><bold>Aim:</bold> In this retrospective single-center study, we report our experience with a cohort of children admitted to our hospital in Al Ain City, United Arab Emirates, with confirmed COVID-19. We also compare our findings to similar reports in the literature.</p><p><bold>Patients and Methods:</bold> Between 1st March and 31st May 2020, we reviewed the electronic patient medical records of all children with confirmed COVID-19 (ICD-10 code U07.1) managed in Al Ain hospital, designated as the only COVID-19 center in the city.</p><p><bold>Results:</bold> There were 288 children admitted with a confirmed diagnosis of Covid-19 during the study period (mean age 7.3 years, median 6.5, range 1 month to 16.9 years). The age-specific point prevalence was the highest under the age of 5 years (mean 2.0 per 1,000, 95% ci 1.7, 2.4) and decreased progressively to 0.6 per 1,000 (95% ci 0.4, 0.9) over the age of 14 years. Hospital admission was required for 193 (67%) children while 95 (33%) were discharged from the emergency department. Most children (<italic>n</italic> = 214, 74%) had been exposed to a family member with suspected or confirmed COVID-19 and asthma which was the most frequent comorbidity (<italic>n</italic> = 37, 13%). The most common symptoms were cough (<italic>n</italic> = 130, 45%), fever (<italic>n</italic> = 14, 4.8%), upper respiratory tract infection (<italic>n</italic> = 93, 32.3%), and lower respiratory tract infection in 28 (9.7%). None of the children presented with acute respiratory distress syndrome, neurological symptoms, sepsis, or septic shock. Neutropenia (absolute neutrophil count or ANC&lt; 1.5 × 10<sup>9</sup>/L) was observed in 10.4% and thrombocytopenia (&lt;150 platelets × 10<sup>9</sup>/L) in 72% of children. Nineteen patients (9%) had abnormal imaging studies (chest X-ray and chest computed tomography). Abnormalities were bilateral in six (43%), right-sided in seven (50%) with only one child (7%) with left-sided involvement. None of the children required invasive respiratory support, but four (1.4%) required noninvasive respiratory support. The median length of hospital stay was 3.3 days [1.9, 5.9]. There were no deaths in the hospital even in those with comorbidities.</p><p><bold>Conclusions:</bold> Our results confirm previous reports of mild illness of COVID-19 in our child population, even in those with comorbidities. The age-standardized prevalence was higher in children (&lt;5 years) compared to young adolescents.</p>