Abstract

ZACARIAS, Khétene Joyce de Freitas et al. Covid-19 in pediatrics: Epidemiological profile of suspected cases. PsychTech [online]. 2023, vol.7, n.1, pp.59-66.  Epub Sep 30, 2023. ISSN 2184-1004.  https://doi.org/10.26580/pthj.art59-2023.

Due to the public health impact that Covid-19 has caused worldwide and reinforcing the need to develop research aimed at pediatric patients affected by Covid-19, this study aimed to identify the epidemiological profile of suspected cases of Covid-19 in children hospitalized in a university hospital in Minas Gerais. This is an epidemiological, descriptive, cross-sectional study carried out in the pediatrics department of a university hospital in Minas Gerais, Brazil. The data was collected between the period from July 2020 to December 2021. For data collection, a spreadsheet containing data related to the variables was used: sex, age, race, clinical manifestation, pre-existing condition, use of oxygen therapy, mean length of stay, and mortality rate. Data were organized into tables and analyzed based on absolute frequencies and percentages. Of the 268 children, 14 (5.22%) were diagnosed with SARS-CoV-2 virus antigens. It is possible to conclude that there was a higher prevalence of the age group 0 to 2 years (53.36%), males (57.47%), and mixed race/color (68.65%). The main clinical manifestations presented were respiratory, fever, and gastrointestinal symptoms. They had an average hospital stay of 6.5 days. It was found that 20.52% had some pre-existing condition, and 58.12% used some oxygen therapy. The production of data on Covid-19 in a hospitalized pediatric population may contribute to a better understanding of the disease and an effective and practical observation for a better understanding by health professionals, aiming at early diagnosis, adequate treatment, and knowledge of essential aspects of the disease.

Keywords : pediatrics; Covid-19; child health; epidemiological profile.

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