Author(s)

Kone Djakaridja^1*, Kadiane-Oussou Juliette¹, Akanji Iburaima Alamun², Yapo Martine Tatiana¹, Adou Leioh Romeo², Karidioula Jean Marie¹, Aba Yapo Thomas¹, Asse Kouadio Vincent², Kra Ouffoue¹

¹Department of Infectious and Tropical Diseases, University and Teaching Hospital of Bouaké, Bouaké, Ivory Coast.
²Department of Pediatric, University and Teaching Hospital of Bouaké, Bouaké, Ivory Coast.

Context: Compared to adults, there are relatively few studies on pediatric COVID-19 due to the high rate of asymptomatic or paucisymptomatic forms. The aim of this study is to determine the epidemiological, clinical, therapeutic, evolutionary and prognostic aspects of COVID-19 infection in children. Patients and Methods: This was a prospective analytical study carried out from February 27, 2021 to January 27, 2022 at the COVID-19 Care Center of the Infectious and Tropical Diseases Department of the Bouaké University Teaching Hospital. The study population consisted of all children under the age of 16, seen in consultation and/or hospitalized with a positive COVID-19 RT-PCR. Data analysis was performed with Epi Info 7 software. The statistical tests used were the chi-square test and Fisher’s exact test depending on the conditions of validity with a significance threshold of p < 5%. Results: Out of 955 patients received at the COVID-19 Care Center in Bouaké, there were 56 children (26 boys/30 girls), or, a prevalence of 5.86%. The mean age was 9.18 years ± 4.48 [extremes 3 months and 15 years]. Children over the age of 11 accounted for 48.21% of cases. They were contact cases in 35.71% and the contact person was the mother in 75% of cases. The main reasons for screening were cough (67.86%), fever (25%) and sneezing (21.43%). The pathological histories were asthma (83.33%), heart disease (33.33%) and sickle cell disease (16.67%). The medical examination revealed 6 cases of children in vital distress. The care consisted of home confinement for simple cases (89.29%) and hospitalization for cases presenting with vital distress (10.71%). The duration of confinement or hospitalization was between 10 and 15 days in 83.93% of cases. No cases of death were noted. The factors associated with the occurrence of symptomatic forms were age (p = 0.028), pathological history (p < 0.0001), asthma (p = 0.002) and heart disease (p = 0.001). Conclusion: The proportion of pediatric cases of COVID-19 is low with a predominance during the season of harmattan. Pediatric infection with COVID-19 is benign and has a favorable evolution, with an almost intra-family transmission wich symptomatology is different from that of adults. Age and pathological history were the factors associated with the occurrence of symptomatic forms.

Epidemiology, Coronavirus, SARS-Cov2, Children, Bouaké

Djakaridja, K. , Juliette, K. , Alamun, A. , Tatiana, Y. , Romeo, A. , Marie, K. , Thomas, A. , Vincent, A. and Ouffoue, K. (2022) Epidemiological, Clinical, Therapeutic, Evolutionary and Prognostic Aspects of Children with COVID-19 in Bouaké (Côte d’Ivoire). Advances in Infectious Diseases, 12, 216-229. doi: 10.4236/aid.2022.122019.