Table 1.
Patient demographic and clinical characteristics during the two periods.
| Total | Pre-pandemic | COVID-19 pandemic | P-value | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| n = 509 (%) | n = 485 (%) | n = 24 (%) | ||
| Age (months) | 2.6 [1.4−4.9] | 2.6 [1.5−5] | 1.6 [0.9−3.3] | .030 |
| Weight at admission (kg) | 5.2 [4.2−6.7] | 5.3 [4.2−6.7] | 4.3 [3.4−6] | .038 |
| Male sex | 300 (58.9) | 286 (58.9) | 14 (58.3) | .951 |
| Birth weight (g) | 3090 [2740−3440] | 3100 [2745−3447] | 2910 [2417−3351] | .139 |
| Gestational age (weeks) | 39 [37−40] | 39 [37−40] | 37.5 [36.3−39] | .016 |
| Premature | 77 (15.1) | 71 (14.6) | 6 (25) | .180 |
| Comorbidity | 42 (8.2) | 40 (8.2) | 2 (8.3) | .988 |
| [0.1-5]Viral aetiology | ||||
| RSV | 360 (70.7) | 343 (70.7) | 17 (70.8) | .778 |
| Rhinovirus/enterovirus | 158 (30.9) | 153 (31.5) | 5 (20.8) | .222 |
| Coronavirus | 42 (8.2) | 39 (8) | 3 (12.5) | .449 |
| Parainfluenza | 33 (6.5) | 32 (6.6) | 1 (4.2) | 1 |
| Adenovirus | 21 (4.1) | 19 (3.9) | 2 (8.3) | .274 |
| Influenza | 19 (3.7) | 19 (3.9) | 0 | .615 |
| Bocavirus | 37 (7.3) | 37 (7.6) | 0 | .243 |
| Metapneumovirus | 25 (4.9) | 25 (5.1) | 0 | .625 |
| SARS-CoV-2 | 1 (0.2) | 0 | 1 (4.2) | .049 |
| Virus not detected | 23 (4.5) | 22 (4.5) | 1 (4.2) | 1 |
| Test not performed | 18 (3.5) | 18 (3.7) | 0 | 1 |
| Viral co-infections | 179 (35) | 174 (35.8) | 5 (20.8) | .103 |
| [0.1-4]Respiratory support | .010 | |||
| None | 51 (10) | 49 (10.1) | 2 (8.3) | |
| LFO | 264 (51.9) | 257 (53.1) | 7 (29.2) | |
| HFO | 98 (19.2) | 94 (19.3) | 4 (16.7) | |
| NIV | 91 (17.8) | 81 (16.7) | 10 (41.7) | |
| IMV | 5 (1) | 4 (0.8) | 1 (4.2) | |
| Admission to PICU | 119 (23.4) | 108 (22.2) | 11 (45.8) | .008 |
| Length of stay in PICU | 4.3 [2.9−6.4] | 4.1 [2.8−6.2] | 6.3 [3.3−8] | .123 |
| Length of hospital stay | 6 [4–8] | 6 [4–8] | 6.5 [3.3−8] | .901 |
Categorical variables are expressed as absolute values and percentages (%) and quantitative variables as median and interquartile range [IQR].
HFO: high-flow oxygen therapy; IMV: invasive mechanical ventilation; LFO: low-flow oxygen therapy; NIV: non-invasive ventilation; PICU: Paediatric Intensive Care Unit.