Clinical Picture of SARS-Cov-2 Infection in Children in Guanajuato State, Mexico: A Cross-Sectional Study
Nicolás Padilla-Raygoza
*
Department of Research and Technological Development, Directorate of Teaching and Research, Institute of Public Health from Guanajuato State, Guanajuato, Mexico.
Gilberto Flores-Vargas
Department of Nursing and Obstetrics, Division of Health Sciences and Engineering, Campus Celaya-Salvatierra, University of Guanajuato, Celaya, Mexico.
Cuauhtémoc Sandoval-Salazar
Directorate of Teaching and Research, Institute of Public Health from Guanajuato State, Guanajuato, Mexico.
Efraín Navarro-Olivos
4Department of Medicine and Nutrition, Division of Health Sciences, Campus Leon, University of Guanajuato, Leon, Mexico.
María de Jesús Gallardo-Luna
Department of Research and Technological Development, Directorate of Teaching and Research, Institute of Public Health from Guanajuato State, Guanajuato, Mexico.
Elia Lara-Lona
Department of Medicine and Nutrition, Division of Health Sciences, Campus Leon, University of Guanajuato, Leon, Mexico.
Francisco J. Magos Vázquez
Directorate of Health Services, Institute of Public Health from Guanajuato State, Guanajuato, Mexico.
Daniel Alberto Díaz-Martínez
Directorate of Health Services, Institute of Public Health from Guanajuato State, Guanajuato, Mexico.
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
Aims: To compare the signs and symptoms in COVID-19 and another respiratory virus, among children.
Study Design: A cross-sectional study was designed based on data from the National Epidemiological Surveillance System of the General Directorate of Epidemiology.
Place and Duration of Study: All registries in database of confirmed and discarded cases of COVID-19 from Guanajuato State, Mexico in the period March-July 2020.
Methodology: A confirmed case was one with clinical data mainly fever, cough and dyspnea, who had traveled to a country affected by the pandemic or had had contact with a confirmed case, and a positive rRT-PCR test for SARS -CoV-2. The cases discarded were those with the negative rRT-PCR test. The presence of clinical data among those under 18 years of age, of confirmed and discarded cases in the state of Guanajuato, was compared with Z for two proportions and P-value.
Results: The sample included 446 confirmed cases and 2,134 discarded cases. The average age of those confirmed was 9.60 ± 5.46 years and 8.01 ± 5.39 years, among those discarded (P <.05). In both groups, male predominated (P = .91). Fever, myalgia, arthralgia, and conjunctivitis show statistically significant differences between confirmed and discarded cases (P < .05).
Conclusion: There are not differences in signs and symptoms in COVID-19 and another respiratory virus. It is concluded that since the characteristics of COVID-19 are like the ones of other viral infections, the diagnosis cannot be made merely based on signs and symptoms.
Keywords: SARS-CoV-2, COVID-19, children, population, clinical data