Analysis and suggestions for the preview and triage screening of children with suspected COVID-19 outside the epidemic area of Hubei Province

BACKGROUND: Since December 2019, a number of patients infected with COVID-19 (SARS-CoV-2) have been identified in Wuhan, Hubei, China. As the epidemic has spread, similar cases have also been found in other parts of mainland China and abroad. The main reason for this spread is the highly contagious nature of the virus and the fact that children can also become infected during its incubation period. This has made the virus a substantial challenge for the outpatient triage staff of children’s hospitals outside the epidemic area of the Hubei Province. It is very important for the preview and triage personnel to accurately grasp the epidemiology of the virus and identify children’s symptoms in the fever clinic. METHODS: We performed an analysis of our early preview and triage of suspected COVID-19 in 36 children presenting at fever clinics. Two specialists either excluded suspected cases or referred cases to the isolation ward for new nucleic acid testing. RESULTS: All 14 children who were transferred to the isolation ward had a fever, and 71.43% of them had a cough. Their nucleic acid testing results were negative. The suspected cases and excluded suspected cases had similar epidemiology history as well as complete blood count results. With reference to the diagnostic criteria in existing pediatric guidelines, we have further improved the triage screening questionnaire for children with fever in our hospital. CONCLUSIONS: According to the situation in our city and hospital, an evaluation questionnaire that is suitable for use with children in our hospital has been formulated to achieve the goals of early detection, isolation, diagnosis, and treatment. We provided an important basis for the next step in developing accurate preview and triage screening standards and appropriate guidelines for pediatric patients.