Abstract
We report epidemiological and clinical investigations on ten pediatric SARS-CoV-2 infection cases confirmed by real-time reverse transcription PCR assay of SARS-CoV-2 RNA. Symptoms in these cases were nonspecific and no children required respiratory support or intensive care. Chest X-rays lacked definite signs of pneumonia, a defining feature of the infection in adult cases. Notably, eight children persistently tested positive on rectal swabs even after nasopharyngeal testing was negative, raising the possibility of fecal-oral transmission.
Publication types
- Case Reports
- Observational Study
- Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
MeSH terms
- Betacoronavirus / genetics
- Betacoronavirus / isolation & purification*
- COVID-19
- COVID-19 Testing
- Child
- Child, Preschool
- Clinical Laboratory Techniques
- Coronavirus Infections / complications
- Coronavirus Infections / diagnosis
- Coronavirus Infections / virology*
- Feces / virology*
- Female
- Humans
- Infant
- Male
- Nasopharynx / virology
- Pandemics
- Pneumonia, Viral / complications
- Pneumonia, Viral / diagnosis
- Pneumonia, Viral / virology*
- Radiography, Thoracic
- Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction
- Rectum / virology
- SARS-CoV-2
- Virus Shedding*