O-9 COVID-19 in Barbados – lessons from a paediatric perspective
Author(s):
PM Lashley , NP Sobers , GHE Gay
Year of Presentation:
2022
Objective: To describe the case frequency, incidence, and
case fatality rate attributed to COVID-19 in children and
adolescents in Barbados for the period March 2020-December 2021.
Methods: Using published case registries over the 22-month study period, incidence and case fatality rates of COVID-19 cases and deaths were classified by sex in the 0 to 18 years age group. Logistic regression was used to examine associations between post COVID-19 symptoms and age, sex and clinical classification.
Results: A total of 6248 COVID-19 confirmed cases were documented in the 0 to 18-year age group, represented 21.7% of all reported cases, and constitutes 22.1% of the Barbadian population. Eighteen (0.3%) cases required hospital or specialist paediatric care. There was one fatality among hospitalized cases and one fatality attributed to multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C). In our sample of 292 children followed up at a pediatric clinic after discharge from isolation, the mean age was 8.8 years and 139 (47.6%) were male. Of 292, 37.5% were asymptomatic, 62.5% had mild/moderate symptoms. PostCOVID-19 symptoms were reported in 16 (5.5%, (95%2.9%, 8.1%)) children. There were no significant differences in post-COVID-19 symptoms by gender or age. Children with mild/moderate symptoms were 9.7 times (95% CI 1.3, 74.5) more likely to have post-COVID-19 symptoms than those who were asymptomatic.
Conclusion: In Barbados, case frequency and case fatality rate in children and adolescents was similar to reported incidence in North America. Despite school closures, children’s infection rate was similar to their population proportion.
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