Participants/Descriptive Data:
Excluding 983 of 1,078 SARS-CoV-2 positive children during our study
period who were not considered immunocompromised, there were 91 children
who met inclusion and exclusion criteria. The sociodemographic and
clinical characteristics of children, classified as oncology patients
versus those on other immunosuppressive agents, are shown in Table 1.
The median age of children was 15.5 years (IQR 8-18 yrs), 64% were
male, and 53% of children were white, with 43% being Hispanic or
Latinx. Most children (67%) were tested in outpatient settings, and
58% of children were asymptomatic at the time of their first positive
test. A higher proportion of children with an oncologic diagnosis were
male, but otherwise there were no significant differences in
demographics, hospitalization or testing indication between children
with oncologic diagnoses and children with other immunocompromising
conditions.
The median number of repeat tests among children in our cohort was 2
(IQR 0,4). The number of SARS-CoV-2 PCR tests and results for children
in our cohort with more than 1 test are shown in Figure 1. Children with
an oncologic diagnosis were more likely to have >1 SARS
–CoV-2 PCR test and complete blood count testing within 72 hours of
their initial test. Children with an oncologic diagnosis were more
likely to have a lower median ALC (550 vs 1015, p = 0.039) compared with
children with other immunocompromising conditions.