Review of COVID-19 in Children Admitted to King Fahad Hospital, Albaha, Saudi Arabia in 2020

Background: The coronavirus disease (COVID-19) is caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). It was first identified at the end of 2019 in Wuhan City, China and then spread worldwide. Objectives: The study aimed to evaluate COVID-19 symptoms, signs, management, and outcomes in admitted children. Methods: This retrospective cohort study was conducted at King Fahad Hospital, Albaha, Saudi Arabia, which is designated as the center for COVID-19 patients. Data were collected retrospectively between Apr 2020 and Mar 2021. The protocols of health authorities in Saudi Arabia were used for the diagnosis and management of all patients. Results: Positive test results were confirmed in 95 patients. Of these, 44 (46%) were males and 51 (54%) were females. Fever, cough, nasal congestion, sore throat, myalgia, and upper respiratory tract infections were the most common symptoms. The common comorbidities in this cohort were respiratory diseases (19%), type1 diabetes mellitus (16%), followed by obesity (11%), chronic kidney disease (4%), congenital heart diseases (2%), while in (48%) pts no comorbidity factors were reported. Fever was the most frequent symptom, reported in 95% of patients. Multisystem inflammatory syndrome (MIS-C) has been reported in one patient. Guillain-Barre syndrome was reported in one female patient and Kawasaki symptoms in one male patient. No mortality was reported. Conclusion: Most children with COVID-19 presented with mild clinical manifestations and good outcomes. No mortality was reported in this study. Obesity is a serious comorbidity and risk factor for severe diseases.