May 12: Children suffering from non-respiratory disease symptoms like diarrhea and fever, or those with a history of exposure to the novel coronavirus, should be suspected of having COVID-19, a new study says.
According to the research, published in the journal Frontiers in Pediatrics, gastrointestinal symptoms first suffered by some children hints at potential infection with SARS-CoV-2 through the digestive tract.
"This case series is the first report to describe the clinical features of COVID-19 with non-respiratory symptoms as the first manifestation in children," the scientists from Tongji Hospital in China wrote in the study.
They explained that the gastrointestinal symptoms could be arising since the type of receptors in lung cells targeted by the virus can also be found in the intestines.
Most children are only mildly affected by COVID-19, and the few severe cases often have underlying health issues, the researchers said.
"It is easy to miss its diagnosis in the early stage, when a child has non-respiratory symptoms, or suffers from another illness," said study co-author Wenbin Li, who works at the Department of Pediatrics, Tongji Hospital.
"Based on our experience of dealing with COVID-19, in regions where this virus is epidemic, children suffering from digestive tract symptoms, especially with fever and/or a history of exposure to this disease, should be suspected of being infected with this virus," Li said.
In the study, the scientists described the clinical features of children admitted to hospital with non-respiratory symptoms, who were subsequently diagnosed with pneumonia and COVID-19.
"These children were seeking medical advice in the emergency department for unrelated problems, for example, one had a kidney stone, another a head trauma," Li said.
The study noted that all the children had pneumonia, which was confirmed by chest X-ray scan before or soon after admission.
These children were then confirmed to have COVID-19.
While their COVID-19 symptoms were initially mild or relatively hidden before their hospital admission, four out of the five cases had digestive tract symptoms as the first manifestation of this disease, the researchers said.
Li hopes that doctors will use the findings to quickly diagnose and isolate patients with similar symptoms, which may aid early treatment and reduce transmission.
According to the researchers, the children's gastrointestinal symptoms, which have also been recorded in adult patients, could be an additional route of infection.
"The gastrointestinal symptoms experienced by these children may be related to the distribution of receptors and the transmission pathway associated with COVID-19 infection in humans," Li explained.
Since the virus infects people via the ACE2 receptor, which can be found in certain cells in the lungs as well as the intestines, COVID-19 might infect patients not only through the respiratory tract in the form of air droplets, but also through the digestive tract by contact or fecal-oral transmission, the study noted.
While COVID-19 tests can occasionally produce false positive readings, Li said all the five children assessed in the study were infected with the disease.
However, he cautioned that more research is needed to confirm their findings.
"We report five cases of COVID-19 in children showing non-respiratory symptoms as the first manifestation after admission to hospital. The incidence and clinical features of similar cases needs further study in more patients," he said.
Comments
this is really foolish to give this kind of advertisement. Kanhaiya is getting free marketing out of fools like this. Very soon he will be famous & become politician too. When Aamir khan PK was released, some fools in Gujrath did marketing for PK movie by putting ban on the movie. This is also gonna be same. Already Kanhaiya is famous but the person who announced this money has given positive review towards JNU President. Now People all over India will know JNU president is Clean without any black mark on his career
Dear Randeep, you should read the news everyday it is officially declared that 60% RSS Goons are there in our Police force what more you can expect from them, it is clear that RSS and even BJP should be banned and we need a good government to rule the country not this fake, uncivilized and lyre BJP Govt.
A speech by Comrade Kanayya is revolutionary and praise worthy. Every Indian citizen must watch his speech in JNU campus. And his chat with Barkha Dutt, NDTV, unbelievable. His thought are very high for his age and his heart for the downtrodden, dalits, ST/SC/and minorities is praise worthy.
By announcing the reward for his killing or cutting his tongue clearly indicates Sangh Parivar and BJP's real intentions and their role in his sedition case.
Long live Kanayya,
RSS cannot stop people from speaking from their heart...independent India gave all its citizens right to speak, nobody can curtail that right from anyone....if they kill one Kanhaiya, there will be more of him born in India....it will be multiplying...how many they will kill...forget about 13 lakhs...13000000 crores will not be enough for it....
WE WANT AZAADI FROM RSS
WE WANT AZAADI FROM VHP
WE WANT AZAADI FROM ABVP
Ban RSS
What else to be expected from the Terrorists ???
Killing, Bloodshed, Riots, Rape threats to women, Disturbing Peace, Attacking religious places, Attacking lonely and even Old Aged, Harassing Innocent People .......... What not ?.
They have forgot that Death will not come to them ?
A Cheddi deception to put u in trouble just like Godse..
No one will get this money... Black money still on que
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