Symptoms and Severity of COVID-19 in Children and Adolescents during the Omicron Variant Compared with Delta Variant
Symptoms and Severity of COVID-19 in Children and Adolescents
Keywords:
COVID-19, children and adolescents, symptoms and severity, Omicron variant, Delta variantAbstract
Currently, the Omicron variant of SARS-CoV-2 is the predominant strain circulating. The objective of this analytical study was to compare symptoms and severity of COVID-19 in children and adolescent patients between the Omicron and Delta variants. This study conducted by reviewed medical records of patients younger than 18 years infected with SARS-CoV-2 receiving inpatient treatment at Buddhachinaraj Phitsanulok Hospital, from July 10 to December 31, 2021 and January 1 to June 30, 2022, during the period when the Delta and Omicron variants were the predominant strains, respectively. Data was collected for each group consisting of 75 individuals and analyzed using descriptive statistics and univariable and multivariable risk ratio regression. Patients infected with the Omicron variant tend to be younger on average and having a risk ratio of fever 0.58 (Adj RR = 0.58, 95% CI: 0.34-0.97), sore throat 2.96 (Adj RR = 2.96, 95% CI: 1.20-7.32), asymptomatic 2.23 (Adj RR = 2.23, 95% CI: 1.05-4.89), pneumonia 0.15 (Adj RR = 0.15, 95% CI: 0.03-0.77), and disease severity of moderate to severe 0.21 (Adj RR = 0.21, 95% CI: 0.05-0.80). Children and adolescents infected with the Omicron variant generally have mild symptoms and exhibit a higher prevalence of an infection of upper respiratory tract compared to the Delta variant
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