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
What is ur problem Mr ,go and do ur business don't interfere in our rights.
Someone must check Christina's adhar card sorry, ur id card Whether she Indian or not.
For my sisters you don't go to such college you can go to Madarasha it's best for you in this life and hereafter best education where you get .for the principal first change ur name.
why you send muslim girls to clg.. let them sit at home and help your parents problem is slowed. PFI brother dont waste your time and do not encourage
why muslim girls students using mobile can you stop tiz some of our muslim girl students roaming inside city centre can you stop tiz mybrother
go and wacth inside city centre on friday after many our commuinty student weariing hijab and roaming with their boy friend kindly try to stop tiz
I request the principles sister to were a normal dress insted of religious dress she is wearing , let her be an example for the rules she has set.
I am asking now only muslims wake up when any some so called muslims their marriges arraenging in this christhian churches why? in mangalore no muslim marrige halls ? these all are only for gimik. The college was against the sharia simply, change the college why this college only. if done like this this kind of all colleges they learn lesson .
Their marriage halls we have issue their they cooking haram things & we also cooking hallal then we no problem, because this all our dignity .throw your dignity follow Quran & Sunnah and became original muslim
If clg rules are against democracy we hv to chnge clg rules not our rights.
When injustice becomes law be on the side of justice
thn islam is peace & beautiful bt the systems are against islam thn this islam also hv certain stratagy & thts thought by prophet (s.a)
Secular? If right to cover the head is not secular for you, then there are million christians/hindu women out there wearing head scarfs including former President Prathiba Patil. So, you mean to say that they all cannot have education in India?
Ughhhhh. Individual choice yes. But college has certain rules. You don't want to follow the rules, you don't join that particular college. Also, Islam is a very beautiful religion. Let's not make it all about the Hijab.
100% they are Indians as they are fighting for their rights which is guaranteed by INDIAN CONSTITUTION. Now could you pls chek your voter ID and of the Principal who made rules against the constitution which is legally termed as Anti-Indian rule.
How can this Principal wearing head scarf frame college laws which is against to the constitution of India. Why she is allowing her sibling nuns wearing Hijab like dress and head scarf attend classes in the same college? What is her hidden agenda? How can she justify her draconian dictat??
Someone must check the voter IDs of protesters to find out whether they are really Indians
Why do these bigots go to a secular college if they want Taliban rules?
At one side head of the institutions are wearing head scarf and allowing Christion nuns whose dress code includes head scarf to follow their tradition. On the other side they are objecting Muslim girls to wear head scarf which is similar as their scarf. May I call it as #hypocrisy
Please decent girls don’t go to that college.
Students all are equal in the college
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