Clinical features of asymptomatic or subclinical COVID-19 in children.
- Author:
You-Jing LIU
1
;
Peng CHEN
;
Zhi-Sheng LIU
;
Ying LI
;
Hui DU
;
Jia-Li XU
Author Information
1. Department of Respiratory Medicine, Wuhan Children's Hospital/Wuhan Maternal and Child Healthcare Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science & Technology, Wuhan 430016, China. 7254608@qq.com.
- Publication Type:Journal Article
- MeSH:
Betacoronavirus;
Child;
Coronavirus Infections;
Humans;
Pandemics;
Pneumonia, Viral;
Retrospective Studies
- From:
Chinese Journal of Contemporary Pediatrics
2020;22(6):578-582
- CountryChina
- Language:Chinese
-
Abstract:
OBJECTIVE:To study the clinical features of asymptomatic or subclinical coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in children.
METHODS:A retrospective analysis was performed for the clinical data of 53 children who were confirmed with asymptomatic or subclinical COVID-19, including epidemiological history, clinical typing, co-infection, time to clearance of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) nucleic acid in nasopharyngeal swabs, laboratory examination results, length of hospital stay, and treatment outcome.
RESULTS:The children with asymptomatic or subclinical COVID-19 accounted for 30.5% (53/174) in children with COVID-19 hospitalized in the COVID-19 ward of Wuhan Children's Hospital. All cases occurred with familial aggregation. Among the 53 children, 35 (66%) had asymptomatic infection and 18 (34%) had subclinical infection. Mycoplasma infection was found in 17 children (32%). For the 53 children, the mean time to clearance of SARS-CoV-2 nucleic acid in nasopharyngeal swabs was 9±4 days. Most laboratory markers were maintained within the normal range. The mean hospital stay was 11±4 days. Lung CT of 18 children with subclinical COVID-19 showed ground-glass opacities, linear opacities, and patchy opacities, with relatively limited lesions.
CONCLUSIONS:There is a high proportion of children with asymptomatic or subclinical COVID-19 among the children with COVID-19 hospitalized in the COVID-19 ward. The transmission risk of asymptomatic or subclinical COVID-19 should be taken seriously.
