Clinical and epidemiological characteristics and effectiveness of antiviral therapy for COVID-19 in children: The experience of the first year of the pandemic

Background. The use of antiviral agents can shorten the duration of the viral infection. The aim: to study the clinical and epidemiological features and the effectiveness of antiviral therapy for new coronavirus infection (COVID-19) in outpatient children.Materials and methods. From April 2020 to Ma...

Full description

Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: T. M. Chernova, E. B. Pavlova, V. N. Timchenko, E. O. Ermakova, S. Yu. Uskova, A. A. Astakhova, I. A. Egorova, A. A. Zherebtsova
Format: Article
Language:Russian
Published: Scientific Сentre for Family Health and Human Reproduction Problems 2021-12-01
Series:Acta Biomedica Scientifica
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.actabiomedica.ru/jour/article/view/3134
_version_ 1797237195484954624
author T. M. Chernova
E. B. Pavlova
V. N. Timchenko
E. O. Ermakova
S. Yu. Uskova
A. A. Astakhova
I. A. Egorova
A. A. Zherebtsova
author_facet T. M. Chernova
E. B. Pavlova
V. N. Timchenko
E. O. Ermakova
S. Yu. Uskova
A. A. Astakhova
I. A. Egorova
A. A. Zherebtsova
author_sort T. M. Chernova
collection DOAJ
description Background. The use of antiviral agents can shorten the duration of the viral infection. The aim: to study the clinical and epidemiological features and the effectiveness of antiviral therapy for new coronavirus infection (COVID-19) in outpatient children.Materials and methods. From April 2020 to March 2021, 9334 outpatient children aged from 0 months to 17 years were randomly tested for new coronavirus infection. SARS-CoV-2 RNA was detected in oropharyngeal and nasal material by PCR. Patients with confirmed new coronavirus infection were prescribed interferon-alpha (IFN-α) intranasally, antiviral agents of systemic action. The control group consisted of children with COVID-19 who did not receive treatment.Results. When examining clinically healthy contact children, SARS-CoV-2 RNA was detected in 7.4 % of cases. In the structure of ARI, the specific weight of COVID-19 was 12.3 % with the peak incidence in April-May (up to 22.8 %) and NovemberDecember (up to 30.0 %). In half of the cases, children became infected in the family, and usually adults were the index patient. In 47.7 % of cases, an asymptomatic form of COVID-19 was registered without significant differences in patients of different ages. In one third of children with concomitant pathology, the disease was asymptomatic, in half it was mild, in other cases moderate severity was diagnosed. The clinical picture of COVID-19 did not differ from other ARIs. Anosmia (9.4 %) in half of the cases was combined with ageusia (4.4 %) and was significantly more common in boys. The duration of clinical manifestations in children of the control group and those who received antiviral therapy did not statistically significantly differ in mild and severity of the disease. Also, various antiviral therapy options did not significantly affect the duration of SARS-CoV-2 detection in children with various forms of COVID-19.Conclusion. In the first year of the pandemic, the novel coronavirus infection did not dominate the pattern of respiratory diseases in outpatient children. Further research is required to develop pediatric guidelines for the treatment of COVID-19 at the outpatient stage.
first_indexed 2024-03-08T12:15:47Z
format Article
id doaj.art-3f29a8d839d843699b0f31d60ece11b2
institution Directory Open Access Journal
issn 2541-9420
2587-9596
language Russian
last_indexed 2024-04-24T17:15:53Z
publishDate 2021-12-01
publisher Scientific Сentre for Family Health and Human Reproduction Problems
record_format Article
series Acta Biomedica Scientifica
spelling doaj.art-3f29a8d839d843699b0f31d60ece11b22024-03-28T07:49:25ZrusScientific Сentre for Family Health and Human Reproduction ProblemsActa Biomedica Scientifica2541-94202587-95962021-12-0166-2182810.29413/ABS.2021-6.6-2.32264Clinical and epidemiological characteristics and effectiveness of antiviral therapy for COVID-19 in children: The experience of the first year of the pandemicT. M. Chernova0E. B. Pavlova1V. N. Timchenko2E. O. Ermakova3S. Yu. Uskova4A. A. Astakhova5I. A. Egorova6A. A. Zherebtsova7Saint Petersburg State Pediatric Medical University Saint Petersburg State Pediatric Medical University Saint Petersburg State Pediatric Medical University Saint Petersburg State Pediatric Medical University Saint Petersburg State Pediatric Medical University Saint Petersburg State Pediatric Medical University Saint Petersburg City Polyclinic No. 24 Saint Petersburg City Polyclinic No. 27 Background. The use of antiviral agents can shorten the duration of the viral infection. The aim: to study the clinical and epidemiological features and the effectiveness of antiviral therapy for new coronavirus infection (COVID-19) in outpatient children.Materials and methods. From April 2020 to March 2021, 9334 outpatient children aged from 0 months to 17 years were randomly tested for new coronavirus infection. SARS-CoV-2 RNA was detected in oropharyngeal and nasal material by PCR. Patients with confirmed new coronavirus infection were prescribed interferon-alpha (IFN-α) intranasally, antiviral agents of systemic action. The control group consisted of children with COVID-19 who did not receive treatment.Results. When examining clinically healthy contact children, SARS-CoV-2 RNA was detected in 7.4 % of cases. In the structure of ARI, the specific weight of COVID-19 was 12.3 % with the peak incidence in April-May (up to 22.8 %) and NovemberDecember (up to 30.0 %). In half of the cases, children became infected in the family, and usually adults were the index patient. In 47.7 % of cases, an asymptomatic form of COVID-19 was registered without significant differences in patients of different ages. In one third of children with concomitant pathology, the disease was asymptomatic, in half it was mild, in other cases moderate severity was diagnosed. The clinical picture of COVID-19 did not differ from other ARIs. Anosmia (9.4 %) in half of the cases was combined with ageusia (4.4 %) and was significantly more common in boys. The duration of clinical manifestations in children of the control group and those who received antiviral therapy did not statistically significantly differ in mild and severity of the disease. Also, various antiviral therapy options did not significantly affect the duration of SARS-CoV-2 detection in children with various forms of COVID-19.Conclusion. In the first year of the pandemic, the novel coronavirus infection did not dominate the pattern of respiratory diseases in outpatient children. Further research is required to develop pediatric guidelines for the treatment of COVID-19 at the outpatient stage.https://www.actabiomedica.ru/jour/article/view/3134childrencovid-19epidemiologysymptomsantiviral therapy
spellingShingle T. M. Chernova
E. B. Pavlova
V. N. Timchenko
E. O. Ermakova
S. Yu. Uskova
A. A. Astakhova
I. A. Egorova
A. A. Zherebtsova
Clinical and epidemiological characteristics and effectiveness of antiviral therapy for COVID-19 in children: The experience of the first year of the pandemic
Acta Biomedica Scientifica
children
covid-19
epidemiology
symptoms
antiviral therapy
title Clinical and epidemiological characteristics and effectiveness of antiviral therapy for COVID-19 in children: The experience of the first year of the pandemic
title_full Clinical and epidemiological characteristics and effectiveness of antiviral therapy for COVID-19 in children: The experience of the first year of the pandemic
title_fullStr Clinical and epidemiological characteristics and effectiveness of antiviral therapy for COVID-19 in children: The experience of the first year of the pandemic
title_full_unstemmed Clinical and epidemiological characteristics and effectiveness of antiviral therapy for COVID-19 in children: The experience of the first year of the pandemic
title_short Clinical and epidemiological characteristics and effectiveness of antiviral therapy for COVID-19 in children: The experience of the first year of the pandemic
title_sort clinical and epidemiological characteristics and effectiveness of antiviral therapy for covid 19 in children the experience of the first year of the pandemic
topic children
covid-19
epidemiology
symptoms
antiviral therapy
url https://www.actabiomedica.ru/jour/article/view/3134
work_keys_str_mv AT tmchernova clinicalandepidemiologicalcharacteristicsandeffectivenessofantiviraltherapyforcovid19inchildrentheexperienceofthefirstyearofthepandemic
AT ebpavlova clinicalandepidemiologicalcharacteristicsandeffectivenessofantiviraltherapyforcovid19inchildrentheexperienceofthefirstyearofthepandemic
AT vntimchenko clinicalandepidemiologicalcharacteristicsandeffectivenessofantiviraltherapyforcovid19inchildrentheexperienceofthefirstyearofthepandemic
AT eoermakova clinicalandepidemiologicalcharacteristicsandeffectivenessofantiviraltherapyforcovid19inchildrentheexperienceofthefirstyearofthepandemic
AT syuuskova clinicalandepidemiologicalcharacteristicsandeffectivenessofantiviraltherapyforcovid19inchildrentheexperienceofthefirstyearofthepandemic
AT aaastakhova clinicalandepidemiologicalcharacteristicsandeffectivenessofantiviraltherapyforcovid19inchildrentheexperienceofthefirstyearofthepandemic
AT iaegorova clinicalandepidemiologicalcharacteristicsandeffectivenessofantiviraltherapyforcovid19inchildrentheexperienceofthefirstyearofthepandemic
AT aazherebtsova clinicalandepidemiologicalcharacteristicsandeffectivenessofantiviraltherapyforcovid19inchildrentheexperienceofthefirstyearofthepandemic