Clinical Features and Predictors of Post COVID-19 Condition Among Pediatric Patients: A Cross-Sectional Study

Background: Persistent symptoms following SARS-CoV-2 infection have increasingly been reported globally, although currently there are no available local epidemiological data on this. This study aimed to determine the prevalence, common manifestations, and clinical predictors of post COVID-19 condition among the pediatric population. Methods: A cross-sectional analytical study adapting the ISARIC (International Severe Acute Respiratory and Emerging Infection Consortium) Global COVID 19 – pediatric survey questionnaire was done. There were 356 patients with confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection (RNA detected by RT-PCR/GeneXpert). Out of the 189 with complete data and who responded, 3 were excluded due to deaths during the acute infection. A total of 186 children aged 0-18 years old were enrolled and children of the same age group having SARS-CoV-2 negative result were included as control in 1:1 ratio. Univariate and multivariate regression analyses were performed to identify variables associated with post COVID-19 symptoms. Results: The prevalence of post COVID-19 condition was 15%. The most common presenting symptoms during the acute infection were fever and cough, while the common post COVID-19 symptoms included persistent cough (65%), rhinorrhea (55%) and loss of taste (3%). In the univariate analysis, the age group 5-11 years (OR 13.83, p value <0.05) and hospitalization (OR 2.37, p value <0.05) were statistically correlated with persisting symptoms. However, multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that hospitalization (aOR 4.1, p value <0.05) was the only factor significantly associated with the persistence of symptoms. Conclusion: Children less than 11 years old and male sex have a higher prevalence of persistent symptoms following acute COVID-19 infection. The age group 5-11 years old was identified as a clinical predictor of post COVID-19 condition along with those who were hospitalized.