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Multicenter Study
. 2022 May;111(5):1034-1038.
doi: 10.1111/apa.16301. Epub 2022 Feb 23.

A very low prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 infection but a high prevalence of other respiratory virus infections in children admitted to paediatric emergency departments

Juliette Viart  1 , Ilka Engelmann  2 , Flora Joannes  3 , Christèle Gras-Le Guen  4 , Hervé Haas  5 , Marie Chinazzo  6 , Aymeric Cantais  7   8 , Amélie Gatin  9 , Camille Brehin  10 , Ilyes Benhalima  2 , Mahdi Ouafi  2 , Alain Martinot  1   11 , François Dubos  1   11
Affiliations
Multicenter Study

A very low prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 infection but a high prevalence of other respiratory virus infections in children admitted to paediatric emergency departments

Juliette Viart et al. Acta Paediatr. 2022 May.

Abstract

Aim: To investigate the prevalence of infections by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) and other respiratory viruses among children admitted to paediatric emergency departments (PEDs).

Methods: From April to July 2020, a prospective, multicentre cohort study was conducted in the PEDs of eight French university hospitals. Regardless of the reason for admission, a nasopharyngeal swab sample from each child was screened using reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction tests for SARS-CoV-2 and other respiratory viruses. We determined the prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 and other respiratory viruses and identified risk factors associated with a positive test.

Results: Of the 924 included children (median [interquartile range] age: 4 years [1-9]; boys: 55%), 908 (98.3%) were tested for SARS-CoV-2. Only three samples were positive (0.3%; 95% confidence interval: 0.1-1) and none of these children had symptoms of coronavirus disease 2019. Of the 836 samples (90%) tested for other viruses, 129 (15.4%) were positive (primarily rhinovirus). Respiratory viruses were significantly more common in young children and in children with respiratory tract symptoms and fever.

Conclusion: The prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 among children admitted to emergency departments was low. In contrast, and despite social distancing and other protective measures, the prevalence of other respiratory viruses detection was high.

Keywords: COVID-19; SARS-CoV-2; children; prevalence; respiratory virus.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors have no conflicts of interest to declare with regard to this research.

Figures

FIGURE 1
FIGURE 1
Study flow chart
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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