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.