TABLE 1.
Comparison Between Features of Ambulatory Children Attended During the Omicron Wave and Previous Waves at the Emergency Rooms
| Features | Previous Waves N = 546 (%) | Omicron Wave N = 109 (%) | P |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sex (female) | 289 (52.9%) | 60 (55.0%) | 0.686 |
| Age (yrs), median (IQR) | 5.7 (1.1–11.7) | 6.6 (1.3–9.8) | 0.330 |
| Age band (yrs) | <0.001 | ||
| 0–4 | 259 (47.4%) | 47 (43.1%) | |
| 5–12 | 162 (29.7%) | 54 (49.5%) | |
| 12 or above | 125 (22.9%) | 8 (7.3%) | |
| Comorbidity | 99 (18.1%) | 12 (11.0%) | 0.070 |
| Contact with household confirmed case | 240 (44.0%) | 33 (30.3%) | 0.008 |
| Symptoms/signs | |||
| Fever | 371 (67.9%) | 90 (82.6%) | 0.002 |
| Cough | 264 (48.4%) | 61 (56.0%) | 0.147 |
| Sore throat | 99 (18.1%) | 20 (18.3%) | 0.957 |
| Runny nose | 197 (36.1%) | 49 (45.0%) | 0.081 |
| Fatigue, malaise | 73 (12.2%) | 12 (11.0%) | 0.728 |
| Wheezing | 23 (4.2%) | 2 (1.8%) | 0.237 |
| Headache | 88 (16.1%) | 35 (32.1%) | <0.001 |
| Myalgia | 48 (8.8%) | 4 (3.7%) | 0.071 |
| Diarrhea | 75 (13.7%) | 23 (21.1%) | 0.049 |
| Vomiting | 91 (16.7%) | 23 (21.1%) | 0.265 |
| Syndromic diagnosis* | |||
| Upper respiratory tract infection | 195 (37.0%) | 73 (67.0%) | <0.001 |
| Flu-like | 80 (15.2%) | 14 (12.8%) | 0.532 |
| Fever without a source | 84 (15.9%) | 5 (4.6%) | 0.002 |
| Gastroenteritis | 40 (7.6%) | 7 (6.4%) | 0.671 |
| Pneumonia | 38 (7.2%) | 1 (0.9%) | 0.013 |
| Asymptomatic | 44 (8.3%) | 3 (2.8%) | 0.042 |
| Bronchitis/asthma flare | 18 (3.4%) | 2 (1.8%) | 0.389 |
| Bronchiolitis | 2 (0.4%) | 0 (0.0%) | 0.519 |
Categorical variables are compared using the χ2 or Fisher tests, and continuous variables using Wilcoxon rank-sum test. Significant P values (<0.05) are in bold.
*
The syndromic diagnosis was not recorded in 19 cases diagnosed in previous waves; percentages and P values are calculated omitting those cases.