COVID-19 Infection in Pediatric Patients Presenting to a Tertiary Center in Jordan: Clinical Characteristics and Age-Related Patterns

TL;DR

This study examines how COVID-19 affects children of different ages in Jordan, finding that younger children experience more severe complications while older children show more alarming symptoms.

Contribution

The study identifies age-related differences in clinical characteristics and complications of pediatric COVID-19 patients in Jordan.

Findings

Younger patients (<5 years) had more severe complications and required more respiratory support.

Older patients (>10 years) exhibited more alarming symptoms and worse immune cell counts.

Significant differences in symptoms and laboratory markers were observed across age groups.

Abstract

Objectives: This study assessed the clinical characteristics of pediatric COVID-19 patients across different age groups during the first and second pandemic waves in Jordan. Methods: A retrospective analysis was conducted at Jordan University Hospital, involving 485 patients aged 1 month to 18 years from September 2020 to July 2021. Patients were categorized into preschool (≤5 years), school-aged (6–10 years), and teenagers (>10 years). Patients’ clinical characteristics were analyzed using R (version 2.3.3). Results: The mean age for participants was 10.7 ± 5.7 years. Shortness of breath, abdominal pain, and headaches were significantly more likely among older participants (all p < 0.01). Conversely, younger patients were more likely to experience nasal congestion, decreased activity, and reduced feeding (all p < 0.05). The majority of patients had mild symptom severity. Analysis of physiologic and laboratory parameters demonstrated significant differences among age groups in terms of heart rate, respiratory rate, hemoglobin, neutrophils, lymphocytes, platelets, CRP, and creatinine (all p < 0.05). Respiratory support was mainly observed among younger patients. Antibiotics was the most commonly received medication. In terms of outcomes, two patients had complications during their stay, both of which belonged to the <5 years age group. We observed significant differences in incidence of symptoms and laboratory markers among different pediatric age groups. While younger patients experienced severe complications, their older counterparts exhibited more alarming symptoms and worse counts of immune cells. Conclusions: These findings highlight the importance of age-specific management strategies for COVID-19, emphasizing the need for tailored approaches in both treatment and prevention.

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