IJTLD Open (Jan 2024)

Clinical spectrum of disease and outcomes in children with Omicron SARS-COV-2 infection in Cape Town, South Africa

  • C. Bekker,
  • I. Dewandel,
  • A. Redfern,
  • C. McKenzie,
  • J. Lishman,
  • L. M. Verhagen,
  • M. Claassen,
  • S. Wilson,
  • R. Dunbar,
  • C. Bosch,
  • G. van Zyl,
  • W. Preiser,
  • P. Goussard,
  • H. Rabie,
  • M. M. van der Zalm

DOI
https://doi.org/10.5588/ijtldopen.23.0053
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 1, no. 1
pp. 27 – 33

Abstract

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INTRODUCTION: Children with underlying comorbidities and infants are most severely affected by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection, including in low- and middle-income countries with a high prevalence of HIV and TB. We describe the clinical presentation of SARS-CoV-2 infection in children during the Omicron wave, in Cape Town, South Africa. METHODS: We analysed routine care data from a prospective cohort of children aged 0–13 years, with a positive SARS-CoV-2 real-time reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction (rRT-PCR) or SARS-CoV-2 antigen test, admitted to Tygerberg Hospital between 1 November 2021 until 1 March 2022. Risk factors for severity of disease were assessed. RESULTS: Ninety-five children tested positive for SARS-CoV-2, of whom 87 (91.6%) were symptomatic. Clinical data were available for 86 children. The median age was 11 months (IQR 3.0–60.0), 37 (43.0%) were females, 21 (24.7%) were HIV-exposed and 7 (8.1%) were living with HIV (CLHIV). In total, 44 (51.2%) children had at least one underlying comorbidity. TB co-infection was seen in 11 children, 6 children were newly diagnosed and 5 children were already on TB treatment at the time of admission. CONCLUSION: There was no evidence of more severe disease in children living with HIV or TB.

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