Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Observational Study
. 2023 Feb 1;42(2):136-142.
doi: 10.1097/INF.0000000000003776. Epub 2022 Nov 15.

Comparison of Epidemiologic and Clinical COVID-19 Profiles in Children in Argentina, During Circulation of Original and Variant (Alpha, Gamma and Lambda) Strains

Angela Gentile  1 , María Del Valle Juárez  1 , Lucia Romero Bollon  1 , Valeria Aprea  2 , Erika Matteucci  2 , Andrea Falaschi  3 , Martin Brizuela  4 , Cristina Euliarte  5 , Gabriela Gregorio  6 , Maria Paula Della Latta  7 , Carlota Russ  8 , Gabriela Nidia Ensinck  9 , Liliana Saraceni  10 , Miriam Bruno  11 , Analía Garnero  12 , Laura Cohen Arazi  13 , Pablo Melonari  14 , Victor Pebe Florian  15 , Elizabeth Bogdanowicz  16 , Alejandra Gaiano  17 , Luciana Bellone  18 , Maria Soledad Areso  19 ; on behalf of the COVID-19 Pediatric Network
Collaborators, Affiliations
Observational Study

Comparison of Epidemiologic and Clinical COVID-19 Profiles in Children in Argentina, During Circulation of Original and Variant (Alpha, Gamma and Lambda) Strains

Angela Gentile et al. Pediatr Infect Dis J. .

Abstract

Background: Information on the impact of the different variants in children in Latin America is scarce. The objective of this study was to describe epidemiologic and clinical features of COVID-19 infection in children under 18 years of age in Argentina, comparing the periods before and after the circulation of new variants.

Methods: Observational, cross-sectional, multicentric, analytical study. All patients under 18 years of age with confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection admitted at 22 healthcare centers were included. Two study periods were established: Period 1 (EW10-2020 to EW12-2021) for the Wuhan strain; Period 2 (EW13 to EW35 2021) for Alpha, Gamma, Delta and Lambda variants.

Findings: A total of 6330 confirmed cases were included. Period 1: 3575 (56.5%), period 2: 2755 (43.5%). During period 2, a lower number of asymptomatic cases was observed, while general, respiratory and neurologic signs and symptoms increased in all age groups. Oxygen therapy requirement was higher during the first period (36.7% vs 19.1%; P < 0.001). No significant differences were observed in the rates of severe or critical cases (6.3% vs 5,4%; P = 0.102), intensive care admission (2.1% vs 2%; P < 0.656) or case fatality (0.3% vs 0.5 %; P < 0.229). MIS-C cases occurred more frequently during the first period (1.9% vs 1.1%; P = 0.009).

Interpretation: The clinical spectrum of COVID-19 in Argentina has evolved. With the emergence of new variants, although the number of asymptomatic cases declined, numbers of severe and critical cases, as well as case fatality rates in children, remained unchanged.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

There are no conflicts of interest.

Figures

FIGURE 1.
FIGURE 1.
Comparison of clinical presentation of COVID-19 between periods and age groups. Note: some cases presented more than one sign or symptom. Symptom reference: • AS: asymptomatic • Gral (General): fever, malaise and myalgias. • R (Respiratory): cough, sore throat, runny nose and shortness of breath. • GI (Gastrointestinal): vomiting, nausea, diarrhea and abdominal pain. • N (Neurologic): headache and seizures. • Other: anosmia, dysgeusia and non-specific rash.
FIGURE 2.
FIGURE 2.
Comparison of frequency of signs and symptoms between periods.
FIGURE 3.
FIGURE 3.
Severe and nonsevere COVID-19 by epidemiologic week.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. World Health Organization. Basic information about COVID-19. [Internet][updated 2022; cited 2022 May 25]. Available at: https://www.who.int/es/news-room/q-a-detail/coronavirus-disease-covid-19. Accessed May 25, 2022.
    1. National Ministry of Health. Sala de Situación COVID-19 - 01/10 SE 39. [Internet][updated 2022; cited 2021 Nov 9]. Available at: https://www.argentina.gob.ar/coronavirus/informes-diarios/sala-de-situac.... Accessed November 9, 2021.
    1. National Ministry of Health. Informes especiales 2020/21. Niñez/Adolescencia y COVID-19. 08/11/21 SE45. [Internet][updated 2022; cited 2021 Nov 21]. Available at: https://www.argentina.gob.ar/sites/default/files/2020/07/sala-gestantes-.... Accessed November 21, 2021.
    1. Mehta NS, Mytton OT, Mullins EWS, et al. . SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19): what do we know about children? A systematic review. Clin Infect Dis. 2020;71:2469–2479. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Viner RM, Mytton OT, Bonell C, et al. . Susceptibility to SARS-CoV-2 infection among children and adolescents compared with adults: a systematic review and meta-analysis. JAMA Pediatr. 2021;175:143–156. - PMC - PubMed

Publication types

Supplementary concepts