Abstract
Background: Little is known on the effect of COVID19 preventive measures on respiratory symptoms in children. We studied the effect of these measures on respiratory symptoms in children previously followed by paediatric pulmonologists.
Methods: The Swiss Paediatric Airway Cohort is a prospective cohort of children aged 0-16 years seen by paediatric pulmonologists in Switzerland. Parents completed a monthly questionnaire on respiratory symptoms and treatment for 1 year. We compared the questionnaires completed in October 2019-February 2020 (preCOVID-winter), March-April 2020 (lockdown with school closures) and October 2020-February 2021 (COVID-winter). We used logistic regression to study the association between the period and respiratory infections, symptoms and treatment use. Results were adjusted for sex, age and previous severity of respiratory symptoms.
Results: Among the 392 questionnaires (204 children, mean age 9 years, 48% female), 83 were completed during preCOVID-winter, 91 in lockdown and 218 in COVID-winter. Compared to preCOVID-winter, questionnaires completed in lockdown and COVID-winter were less likely to report on respiratory infections (aOR 0.12, 95%CI 0.05-0.31; aOR 0.22, 0.10-0.46), cough (aOR 0.31, 0.14-0.67; aOR 0.17, 0.08-0.36), dyspnoea (aOR 0.30, 0.10-0.96; aOR 0.34, 0.11-1.1), wheeze (aOR 0.15, 0.05-0.47; aOR 0.30, 0.12-0.71), treatment for respiratory problems (aOR 0.22, 0.06-0.85; aOR 0.06, 0.01-0.30), and asthma control-drugs use (aOR 0.65, 0.23-1.8; aOR 0.14, 0.04-0.49).
Conclusion: Children in this clinical cohort had less respiratory infections and symptoms during the COVID19 pandemic compared to a previous similar period, probably due to preventive measures.
Footnotes
Cite this article as: European Respiratory Journal 2021; 58: Suppl. 65, OA2962.
This abstract was presented at the 2021 ERS International Congress, in session “Prediction of exacerbations in patients with COPD”.
This is an ERS International Congress abstract. No full-text version is available. Further material to accompany this abstract may be available at www.ers-education.org (ERS member access only).
- Copyright ©the authors 2021