Clinical characteristics and outcomes of children with COVID-19 in Saudi Arabia

Authors

• Abeer A. Alnajjar, From the Department of Pediatrics (Alnajjar, Dohain, Abdelmohsen, Alahmadi, Zaher, Abdelgalil), King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia; and from the Department of Pediatrics (Dohain, Abdelmohsen, Abdelgalil), Cairo University, Cairo, Egypt.
• Ahmed M. Dohain, From the Department of Pediatrics (Alnajjar, Dohain, Abdelmohsen, Alahmadi, Zaher, Abdelgalil), King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia; and from the Department of Pediatrics (Dohain, Abdelmohsen, Abdelgalil), Cairo University, Cairo, Egypt.
• Gaser A. Abdelmohsen, From the Department of Pediatrics (Alnajjar, Dohain, Abdelmohsen, Alahmadi, Zaher, Abdelgalil), King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia; and from the Department of Pediatrics (Dohain, Abdelmohsen, Abdelgalil), Cairo University, Cairo, Egypt.
• Turki S. Alahmadi, From the Department of Pediatrics (Alnajjar, Dohain, Abdelmohsen, Alahmadi, Zaher, Abdelgalil), King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia; and from the Department of Pediatrics (Dohain, Abdelmohsen, Abdelgalil), Cairo University, Cairo, Egypt.
• Zaher F. Zaher, From the Department of Pediatrics (Alnajjar, Dohain, Abdelmohsen, Alahmadi, Zaher, Abdelgalil), King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia; and from the Department of Pediatrics (Dohain, Abdelmohsen, Abdelgalil), Cairo University, Cairo, Egypt.
• Abobakr A. Abdelgalil, From the Department of Pediatrics (Alnajjar, Dohain, Abdelmohsen, Alahmadi, Zaher, Abdelgalil), King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia; and from the Department of Pediatrics (Dohain, Abdelmohsen, Abdelgalil), Cairo University, Cairo, Egypt.

Abstract

Objectives: To determine the demographic and clinical characteristics, underlying comorbidities, and outcomes of children with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) infection. Methods: In this retrospective study, we reported 62 pediatric patients (age <14 years) with confirmed COVID-19 between March 2 and July 1, 2020, at King Abdulaziz University Hospital, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Results: Comorbid conditions, including cardiac, neurological, respiratory, and malignant disorders, were reported in 9 patients (14.5%). The most prominent presenting complaints were fever (80.6%) and cough (48.4%). Most of our patients (80.6%) had mild disease, 11.3% had moderate disease, and 8.1% exhibited severe and critical illness. Twenty-one patients (33.9%) were hospitalized, with 4 patients (6.5%) admitted to the pediatric intensive care unit, and 3 (4.8%) patients died. Conclusion: All pediatric age groups are susceptible to COVID-19, with no gender difference. COVID-19 infection may result in critical illness and even mortality in subsets of pediatric patients.

Article Type

Research Article

First Page

391

Last Page

398

Recommended Citation

Alnajjar, Abeer A.; Dohain, Ahmed M.; Abdelmohsen, Gaser A.; Alahmadi, Turki S.; Zaher, Zaher F.; and Abdelgalil, Abobakr A. (2021) "Clinical characteristics and outcomes of children with COVID-19 in Saudi Arabia," Saudi Medical Journal: Vol. 42: Iss. 4, Article 7.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.15537/smj.2021.42.4.20210011