key: cord-0814119-lyb456r1
authors: Meyer, M.; Rübsteck, E.; Lehmann, C.; Klein, F.; Gruell, H.; Hünseler, C.; Weber, L. T.
title: Prävalenz von SARS-CoV-2 bei Kindern in einer Kohorte von 2192 Patienten
date: 2020-11-19
journal: Monatsschr Kinderheilkd
DOI: 10.1007/s00112-020-01067-8
sha: e4e0957f61e74ecf1ed6fe65425f02e2a7b3fd0b
doc_id: 814119
cord_uid: lyb456r1

BACKGROUND: As of 18 June 2020 a total of 187,764 severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infections were reported in Germany and of these 6.9% were under the age of 19 years. There were initial indications that children are often asymptomatic and show a milder clinical course. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to gain information on the prevalence of SARS-CoV‑2 infections in a pediatric cohort. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Between 13 March and 18 June 2020 all children from whom a smear for SARS-CoV‑2 was taken either to rule out an infection or as a suspected case were included. Data were collected on standardized patient record sheets. The analysis of data was anonymized and retrospective. RESULTS: During the given period 2192 children were investigated and 37 patients tested positive (1.7%) for SARS-CoV‑2. Of these 36/37 were suspected cases and 28/37 were symptomatic. The leading symptoms were dry cough, runny nose and fever and three children had to be hospitalized. None showed a difficult course of the disease. Among those tested 505 were patients at risk due to an underlying chronic disease, 3 of whom (0.6%) were tested positive with an asymptomatic or mild course. CONCLUSION: We can confirm the first data showing that children and adolescents often have an asymptomatic or mild clinical course of infection or disease. We found no evidence of a high grey area of SARS-CoV‑2 infections in this regional pediatric cohort.

menhang mit der Infektion (4,7 %) [1]. Kinder scheinen insgesamt seltener an COVID-19 zu erkranken. Gemäß den größten Kohorten in China, Italien und den USA [2] [3] [4] sind ca. 1-2 % der gemeldeten positiven Patienten unter 18 Jahre alt. In Deutschland sind aktuell ungefähr 13.001 (6,9 %) der Infizierten unter 19 Jahre alt [1] . Kinder erkranken nicht nur seltener, die Verläufe der COVID-19-Erkrankung sind meist milde oder asymptomatisch [5, 6] . Laut einer Studie aus China verlaufen nur ca. 5 % der Fälle schwer [7] . In Deutschland mussten 13 % der erfassten 150 hospitalisierten Kinder intensivmedizinisch behandelt werden. Ein Patient verstarb. Die genauen Hintergründe hierzu sind noch nicht bekannt [8] . Ziel der vorliegenden Arbeit ist es, einen Überblick über die Infektionsprävalenz bei 1261 abgestrichenen Kindern und Jugendlichen zu geben. 

Deutschland · COVID-19 · Dunkelziffer · Symptome · Risikopatienten Prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 in children from a cohort of 2192 patients Abstract Background. As of 18 June 2020 a total of 187,764 severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infections were reported in Germany and of these 6.9% were under the age of 19 years. There were initial indications that children are often asymptomatic and show a milder clinical course.

Objective. The aim of this study was to gain information on the prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 infections in a pediatric cohort. Material and methods. Between 13 March and 18 June 2020 all children from whom a smear for SARS-CoV-2 was taken either to rule out an infection or as a suspected case were included. Data were collected on standardized patient record sheets. The analysis of data was anonymized and retrospective. Results. During the given period 2192 children were investigated and 37 patients tested positive (1.7%) for SARS-CoV-2. Of these 36/37 were suspected cases and 28/37 were symptomatic. The leading symptoms were dry cough, runny nose and fever and three children had to be hospitalized. None showed a difficult course of the disease. Among those tested 505 were patients at risk due to an underlying chronic disease, 3 of whom (0.6%) were tested positive with an asymptomatic or mild course. Conclusion. We can confirm the first data showing that children and adolescents often have an asymptomatic or mild clinical course of infection or disease. We found no evidence of a high grey area of SARS-CoV-2 infections in this regional pediatric cohort.

Germany · COVID-19 · Dark figures · Symptoms · Patients at risk [11] . Insgesamt sind die bisher veröffentlichten epidemiologischen Daten aufgrund unterschiedlicher Methodik nur schwer zu vergleichen.

Häufig wurde eine hohe Dunkelziffer (Patienten, welche mit SARS-CoV-2 infiziert, aber nicht identifiziert sind) an infizierten Patienten insbesondere bei Kindern und Jugendlichen vermutet. Dies lässt sich anhand unserer Daten nicht bestätigen. Von den 2192 getesteten Patienten gab es lediglich einen positiven Zufallsbefund. Die Patientin hatte keinen wissentlichen Kontakt zu einer SARS-CoV-2-positiven Person und war asymptomatisch. Sie wurde im Rahmen eines Screenings identifiziert. Alle anderen positiv auf SARS-CoV-2 getesteten Patienten hatten entweder nachweislich Kontakt zu einer an COVID-19 erkrankten Person (83,8 %) und befanden sich daher bereits in häuslicher Quarantäne oder hatten Symptome.

Im Rahmen eines allgemeinen Aufnahmescreenings erwachsener Patienten unseres Zentrums ließen sich im Zeitraum vom 12.04.2020 bis 18.06.2020 unter 7211 untersuchten Proben 7 Zufallsbefunde (0,1 %) feststellen. Betrachtet man die Kinder ebenfalls zwecks Vergleichbarkeit in dem gleichen Zeitraum, kommt man ebenfalls auf eine Rate von 0,08 % bei den Zufallsbefunden (1/1180).

Wir konnten, wie bereits von anderen Kollegen berichtetet [12] [13] [14] , bei Kindern und Jugendlichen ebenfalls keine erhöhte Infektionsrate unter Risikopatienten bzw. keine schweren klinischen Verläufe feststellen. Die 3 positiv getesteten chronisch kranken Patienten zeigten einen milden bzw. asymptomatischen Verlauf. Jedoch muss auch hier bedacht werden, dass die Gruppe der Risikopatienten mit 505 Patienten klein war, und dass nur 6,9 % (n = 35)

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