We found a match
Your institution may have access to this item. Find your institution then sign in to continue.
- Title
Clinical manifestations of COVID-19 versus other upper respiratory tract infections in pediatric patients.
- Authors
Alzahrani, Manar M.; Alaraifi, Abdulaziz K.; Aldosari, Lama H.; Hijazi, Leen O.; Alsaab, Fahad A.
- Abstract
Objectives: To explore the differences between COVID-19 and upper respiratory tract infections (URTI) in the pediatric population, emphasizing smell and taste disturbances. Methods: A case-control study included 468 patients, 234 with COVID-19 (cases) and 234 with URTI (controls) at a tertiary hospital, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, from 2020-2021. Patients with bacterial URTI, lower tract respiratory infections, and speech or developmental delays were excluded. Statistical analysis was carried out using Statistical Analysis System, 9.2 version. A p-value of ≤0.05 was considered significant. Results: The male-to-female ratio was almost equal, with a mean age of 9.90±2.34. Multivariable logistic regression analysis showed that a change in taste significantly increases the probability of COVID-19 by 21.98 times. On the other hand, sore throat (81.5%), dyspnea (63.5%), nasal obstruction (72.7%), and otalgia significantly (74.8%) decrease the likelihood of COVID-19. Conclusion: Taste disturbances increase the probability of COVID-19 infections, whereas sore throat, dyspnea, nasal obstruction, and otalgia increase the likelihood of other URTIs. The described differences might aid physicians in their differential diagnosis and treatment during the pandemic.
- Subjects
RIYADH (Saudi Arabia); RESPIRATORY infections; SYMPTOMS; CHILD patients; COVID-19 pandemic; COVID-19
- Publication
Saudi Medical Journal, 2023, Vol 44, Issue 1, p74
- ISSN
0379-5284
- Publication type
Article
- DOI
10.15537/smj.2023.44.1.20220439