A Comparison of clinical findings and laboratory test results between hospitalized children with COVID-19 and influenza

INTRODUCTION: It can be challenging to distinguish between Influenza and coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) during influenza seasons. Therefore, we aimed to compare clinical symptoms, laboratory findings, and outcome of the two diseases in children.
METHODS: Thirty-two children with COVID-19 and 22 children with influenza who were hospitalized in our clinic were included in the study. The demographic, clinical, and laboratory findings of the patients were retrospectively reviewed.
RESULTS: The median age of patients with influenza and COVID-19 was 1.4 and 15.3 years, respectively. Fever (77.3% vs 46.9%, p= 0.02), nasal obstruction (27.3% vs 0, p=0.003), wheezing (54.5% vs 3.1%, p< 0.001), bilateral cracklings sounds (63.6% vs 15.6%, p<0.001), prolonged expirium (63.6% vs 3.1%, p<0.001), tachycardia (36.4% vs 0, p<0.001) and tachypnea (54.5% vs 0, p<0.001) were significantly more frequent in patients with influenza compared to COVID-19. Patients with influenza had significantly increased leucocyte count, lymphocyte count, and AST levels and lower albumin levels compared to patients with COVID-19. In the influenza group, three patients needed intensive care, and one of them died. None of the patients with COVID-19 needed intensive care and there was no death in this group.
DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION: In hospitalized children, the clinical and laboratory findings were milder in patients with COVID-19 compared to influenza.