Author(s)

Jocelyn Tony Nengom^1,2,3*, Suzanne Sap Ngo Um^1,2, Louis Serge Tang Nlend¹, Bonaventure Hollong³, Jeannette Epée Ngoué¹, Paul Olivier Koki Ndombo^1,2

¹Faculty of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Department of Pediatrics, University of Yaounde I, Yaounde, Cameroon.
²Mother and Child Center of Chantal Biya’s Foundation, Yaounde, Cameroon.
³Specialized Center for COVID-19 Patients, Annex Number II of the Yaounde Central Hospital (ORCA), Yaounde, Cameroon.

Introduction: COVID-19 is an infectious disease that has been causing a global pandemic since 2019. Although clinical forms are generally less severe in children than in adults, children nevertheless present polymorphous clinical forms and severe cases that can lead to death. Objective: To describe the clinical presentations found in the different waves of COVID-19, and to highlight the different factors of severity. Materials and Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional study with retrospective and prospective data collection which lasted 7 months (from November 2021 to June 2022) and covered a study period from 6 March 2020 to 22 June 2022, i.e. 27 months. All patients aged 0 to 18 years, suspected of having COVID-19, confirmed by real-time RT-PCR or an antigenic Rapid Diagnostic Test or antibody were included. These patients were to be managed in the Mother and Child Centre of the Chantal Biya Foundation, as well as in the Specialised Centre for the Management of COVID patients, annex number II of the Yaoundé Central Hospital. The results were analysed using IBM SPSS.23 software. Results: We included 163 patients in our study. No paediatric patients were registered during the 3^rd wave. The mean age of the patients in the study population was 13 ± 5 years with extremes from 15 days to 18 years. We had a female predominance with a sex ratio of 0.83. The most common comorbidity was asthma. The first wave presented mainly with respiratory symptoms such as dry cough and signs of respiratory distress. The second wave presented mainly with digestive symptoms such as diarrhoea, abdominal pain and vomiting. The fourth wave presented with ENT signs such as sore throat, and rhinorrhea. Factors associated with severity were mainly age less than five years (OR = 17.69), vomiting (OR = 6.50), presence of comorbidities (OR = 3.39), and alteration of vital parameters such as bradypnoea (OR = 19.68), bradycardia (OR = 6.34), tachycardia (OR = 3.73), oxygen saturation < 95% (OR = 9.23). Conclusion: Clinical presentations varied between waves and the main risk factor was age under 5 years. The fourth wave was less severe than the second wave, which in turn was less severe than the first. (4^th < 2^nd < 1^st) which allows us to humbly recommend more screening for patients under 18 years of age with respiratory, ENT and digestive signs and special attention for those under 5 years of age.

COVID-19, Children, Waves, Clinical Profile, Severity, Cameroon

Nengom, J. , Um, S. , Nlend, L. , Hollong, B. , Ngoué, J. and Ndombo, P. (2023) Comparison of the Clinical Profile and Severity Factors of COVID-19 during the First 4 Waves in a Paediatric Population of Yaounde. Open Journal of Pediatrics, 13, 125-137. doi: 10.4236/ojped.2023.131016.