COVID-19 in a tertiary paediatric centre in Portugal: a single-centre retrospective study

OBJECTIVE: To describe the demographic, clinical, laboratory and imaging features of the first 300 SARS-CoV-2-infected children presenting to a tertiary paediatric centre in Portugal. DESIGN: Single-centre, retrospective, descriptive study of paediatric patients who had a confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection from 7 March to 20 September 2020. SETTING: Tertiary paediatric referral centre (Hospital Dona Estefânia, Lisbon, Portugal). PATIENTS: 18 years or younger. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Incidence, mortality, age of infection, clinical characteristics, treatment prescribed and outcome. RESULTS: Three hundred patients with confirmed COVID-19 presented to the centre. One hundred and seventeen (39%) patients were admitted to the hospital: 69 with COVID-19 and 48 for other reasons. The most common symptoms in children admitted with COVID-19 were fever (49) and cough (38). Six patients required intensive care. Two children died and seven reported short-term sequelae. CONCLUSIONS: COVID-19 is usually a mild disease in children, but a small proportion of patients develop severe and critical disease. Fatal outcomes were rare and only occurred in children with severe previous medical conditions.