Since the outbreak of SARS-CoV-2 among the population has occurred quite recently, there is a lack of evidence on the long-term duration of antibody response, especially in children. It is therefore ...crucial to clarify this aspect, considering its implications in the development of successful surveillance strategies, therapies, and vaccinations. The aim of this study was to assess the antibody response in a children group after SARS-CoV-2 infection, and to compare it with that of their parents affected by SARS-CoV-2 infection. We enrolled 12 children and their parents, both groups being affected by COVID-19 in April 2020. In the children’s group, we collected real-time RT-PCR cycle threshold (Ct) values and gene characterization of first nasal-throat swab at the time of diagnosis (T0); 30 days after the diagnosis (T30), we performed blood tests to detect anti-SARS-CoV-2 IgM and IgG. Finally, 180 days after the diagnosis (T180), we measured anti-SARS-CoV-2 IgG in both children and parents. In children, antibody levels declined significantly at 180 days (T180) after first measurement (T30). There were no significant differences in IgG level related to age, sex, and clinical manifestations. We found a significant correlation between IgG titers at T30 and Ct value of gene N. Children showed a lower level of antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 at T180 compared to their parents.
Conclusion
: Antibody responses in children waned 180 days after SARS-CoV-2 infection, and at the same time, their parents showed a different antibody response to the virus. These results highlight that serological tests should be used with caution in surveillance strategies among the general population.
What is known:
•
Currently is not known how long antibody response will be maintained or if it protects from reinfection
.
•
Recent reports in adults suggest that antibodies to SARS-CoV-2 declined several months after infection, but data are missing in pediatric age
.
What is new:
•
We showed that antibody responses to SARS-CoV-2 wane several months after infection also in children with quantitative differences in antibody levels between children and adults
.
•
In this context, serological tests should be used with caution in surveillance strategies
.
Face masks have been associated with effective prevention of diffusion of viruses via droplets. However, the use of face masks among children, especially those aged younger than 3 years, is debated, ...and the US Centers for Disease Control and American Academy of Physicians recommend the use of face mask only among individuals aged 3 years or older.
To examine whether the use of surgical facial masks among children is associated with episodes of oxygen desaturation or respiratory distress.
This cohort study was conducted from May through June 2020 in a secondary-level hospital pediatric unit in Italy. Included participants were 47 healthy children divided by age (ie, group A, aged ≤24 months, and group B, aged >24 months to ≤144 months). Data were analyzed from May through June 2020.
All participants were monitored every 15 minutes for changes in respiratory parameters for the first 30 minutes while not wearing a surgical face mask and for the next 30 minutes while wearing a face mask. Children aged 24 months and older then participated in a walking test for 12 minutes.
Changes in respiratory parameters during the use of surgical masks were evaluated.
Among 47 children, 22 children (46.8%) were aged 24 months or younger (ie, group A), with 11 boys (50.0%) and median (interquartile range IQR) age 12.5 (10.0-17.5) months, and 25 children (53.2%) were aged older than 24 months to 144 months or younger, with 13 boys (52.0%) and median (IQR) age 100.0 (72.0-120.0) months. During the first 60 minutes of evaluation in the 2 groups, there was no significant change in group A in median (IQR) partial pressure of end-tidal carbon dioxide (Petco2; 33.0 32.0-34.0 mm Hg; P for Kruskal Wallis = .59), oxygen saturation (Sao2; 98.0% 97.0%-99.0%; P for Kruskal Wallis = .61), pulse rate (PR; 130.0 115.0-140.0 pulsations/min; P for Kruskal Wallis = .99), or respiratory rate (RR; 30.0 28.0-33.0 breaths/min; P for Kruskal Wallis = .69) or for group B in median (IQR) Petco2 (36.0 34.0-38.0 mm Hg; P for Kruskal Wallis = .97), Sao2 (98.0% 97.0%-98.0%; P for Kruskal Wallis = .52), PR (96.0 84.0-104.5 pulsations/min; P for Kruskal Wallis test = .48), or RR (22.0 20.0-25.0 breaths/min; P for Kruskal Wallis = .55). After the group B walking test, compared with before the walking test, there was a significant increase in median (IQR) PR (96.0 84.0-104.5 pulsations/min vs 105.0 100.0-115.0 pulsations/min; P < .02) and RR (22.0 20.0-25.0 breaths/min vs 26.0 24.0-29.0 breaths/min; P < .05).
This cohort study among infants and young children in Italy found that the use of facial masks was not associated with significant changes in Sao2 or Petco2, including among children aged 24 months and younger.
FIRES is defined as a disorder that requires a prior febrile infection starting between 2 weeks and 24 h before the onset of the refractory status epilepticus with or without fever at the onset of ...status epilepticus. The patients, previously normal, present in the acute phase recurrent seizures and status epilepticus followed by a severe course with usually persistent seizures and residual cognitive impairment. Boundary with "new onset refractory status epilepticus (NORSE) has not clearly established. Pathogenetic hypothesis includes inflammatory or autoimmune mechanism with a possible genetic predisposition for an immune response dysfunction.Various types of treatment have been proposed for the treatment of the acute phase of the disorder to block the rapid seizures evolution to status epilepticus and to treat status epilepticus itself. Prognosis is usually severe both for control of the seizures and for cognitive involvement.FIRES is an uncommon but severe disorder which must be carefully considered in the differential diagnosis with other epileptic encephalopathy.
Since last year, COVID-19, the disease caused by the novel Sars-Cov-2 virus, has been globally spread to all the world. COVID-19 infection among pregnant women has been described. However, ...transplacental transmission of Sars-Cov-2 virus from infected mother to the newborn is not yet established. The appropriate management of infants born to mothers with confirmed or suspected COVID-19 and the start of early breastfeeding are being debated. It may consider an appropriate practice to keep mother and her newborn infant together in order to facilitate their contact and to encourage breastfeeding, although integration with infection prevention measures is needed.
Lung ultrasound has become increasingly used in both adult and pediatric populations, allowing the rapid evaluation of many lung and pleura diseases. This popularity is due to several advantages of ...the method such as the low cost, rapidity, lack of ionizing radiation, availability of bedside and repeatability of the method. These features are even more important after the outbreak of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, given the possibility of recognizing through ultrasound the signs of interstitial lung syndrome typical of pneumonia caused by the virus. The purpose of this paper is to review the available evidence of lung ultrasound (LUS) in children and its main applications in pediatric diseases.
The current study aimed to compare the efficacy and safety of 2 noninvasive respiratory support methods, which included helmet CPAP and high-flow nasal cannula (HFNC) in children with respiratory ...distress admitted to a pediatric intermediate care unit.
This study was a prospective observational study conducted on children with respiratory distress (age 1-24 months) who were admitted to our acute and emergency operative unit. All included subjects were randomly treated with helmet CPAP or HFNC in a 1:1 fashion until their clinical picture, oxygen saturation, and arterial blood gas (ABG) parameters resolved. The efficiencies of helmet CPAP and HFNC were evaluated by breathing frequency, S
, ABG pH, ABG P
, ABG P
, and P
/F
, recorded once at baseline and then after 1 and 6 h of treatment. Both noninvasive respiratory support modalities were compared with a control group of subjects with respiratory distress under standard therapeutic pharmaceutical protocols.
We found that both helmet CPAP and HFNC were efficient in improving the clinical conditions of subjects with mild-to-moderate respiratory distress, although clinical response to helmet CPAP was more efficient and rapid compared with HFNC. Children who received respiratory support had a better clinical course in terms of hospitalization, days of intravenous rehydration therapy, and days of drug administration compared with the control group (
< .001).
Based on our knowledge, the present study is the first research comparing the effects of CPAP and HFNC in respiratory distress resolution in a pediatric intermediate care setting. It aims to identify the most efficient treatment to avoid pediatric ICU admissions and endotracheal intubation and reduce the administration of drugs and days of hospitalization.
SARS-CoV-2 infection in the pediatric age group has a milder course than in adults, but in some cases even children may present with severe forms or develop long-term consequences. The aim of this ...study was to analyze the clinical features, long-term effects, lifestyle changes and psychological effects of SARS-CoV-2 infection in a pediatric sample of the Italian population.
We conducted a telephone survey among 3075 children infected with SARS-CoV-2 in the Latina Local Health Authority. Outcomes included: clinical features of infection, long-term symptoms, lifestyle changes and emotional symptoms during the illness. The information obtained was automatically linked to a spreadsheet and analyzed.
One thousand four hundred thirteen children agreed to participate in the study; the mean age was 112.8 ± 21.9 months. Children were infected mainly inside familial clusters (59.6%; n = 842); 99% (n = 1399) of children were asymptomatic or exhibited mild symptoms. 20% (n = 259) of children experienced long-term symptoms; risk factors were: older age, higher body mass index and longer duration of infection. Throughout the period of infection, children spent most of the time on devices like tv-video, social media and mobile phone for non-educational activities. 58.8% (n = 620) of parents expressed a negative opinion about distance learning. Finally, we observed that 49,6% (n = 532) of children experienced psychological symptoms during quarantine period.
Despite a lower susceptibility to COVID-19 in children, it is important to keep the focus high in children, both because of the possible long symptoms after infection and the impact on a children's mental and physical health due to pandemic. We believe that the return to school or other extracurricular activities are important to correct some of the risk factors for the long COVID syndrome, as obesity, and to limit the cultural damage generated by distance learning and psychological effects related to restrictive measures.
Smell and Taste in Children with Covid-19 Meliante, Piero Giuseppe; Marcellino, Alessia; Altomari, Roger ...
Allergy & rhinology (Providence, R.I.),
01/2022, Volume:
13
Journal Article
Peer reviewed
Open access
Objectives
To assess the frequency of loss of smell and taste in children during Covid-19 infection and their prevalence along with other symptoms, as well as the recovery of chemosensory function ...once healed.
Methods
To evaluate symptoms during infection, we adapted the Scandinavian adaptation of the Multi-Clinic Smell and Taste Questionnaire and the modified Monel-Jefferson questionnaire. For smell analysis we used Odor Identification (OI) and two variants of the Odor Discrimination (OD) test, and we compared the results with those of a control group.
Results
We enrolled nine patients in our experimental group and nine in our control group. Fever was the most frequent symptom (55% of cases), followed by anosmia and ageusia (44% of cases), muscle pain and asthenia (22% of cases) and diarrhea, abdominal pain, cough, and headache (11% of cases). In 11% of cases, olfactory symptoms were the only manifestation of the disease. There was no statistically significant difference in OI test and OD tests between the two groups (Children healed from Covid-19 and Control Group).
Conclusion
Loss of smell and taste are the second most common symptoms of pediatric Covid-19, and they should always be tested because they can be the only manifestations of infection. Olfactory function in Covid-19 children decreases with increasing age and improves with the passage of time after illness.
PDF
