Results
Data was captured from eleven countries, with 37 cases of SARS-CoV-2 submitted. The highest number of cases was submitted from Europe (19), followed by Asia (8), Oceania (5), South America (3) and North America (2).
Figure 1 – Cases by location
The average age of patients was 7 years with the majority of children having Type C, EA- TEF (81%). Respiratory comorbidities such as tracheomalacia, asthma, recurrent pulmonary infections were present in 71% of patients, cardiac comorbidities in 32% of patients and gastrointestinal comorbidities such as strictures, gastro-oesophageal reflux disease, eosinophilic oesophagitis present in 57% of patients. Only 4 patients did not have any reported comorbidities.
Table 1 – Baseline characteristics
Six patients were admitted to hospital (16%), with four patients (67%) requiring respiratory support, including one patient admitted to Intensive Care requiring extra-corporal membrane oxygenation, on a background of previous cytomegalovirus pneumonia and esophageal replacement with cologastric anastomosis for long gap esophageal atresia.
The majority of patients hospitalised (66%) were admitted during the first 12 months of the database. Rates of hospitalization in the first 12 months were 18%, compared to a rate of 10% in the second 12 months of the database.
Medication use alone was associated with increased risk of hospitalization. Subgroup analysis demonstrated that proton pump inhibitors, bronchodilators and inhaled steroids were not associated with an increased risk of hospitalization. Cardiac comorbidities and gastrointestinal comorbidities also did not increase the risk of hospitalization. Overall, having a respiratory comorbidity also did not increase the risk of hospitalization – and on subgroup analysis, there was no association between tracheomalacia, asthma or recurrent chest infections on risk of hospitalization.
Table 2 – Factors associated with hospitalization
Figure 2 - Timeline of cases.