Seroconversion in asymptomatic COVID-19 pediatric patients with rheumatic diseases of one tertiary referral hospital.

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate seroconverted asymptomatic COVID-19 in pediatric Autoimmune Rheumatic Diseases (ARDs) patients and to identify the risk factors related to contagion. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted in March 2021, before vaccination of children and adolescents in Brazil, including 77 pediatric ARDs patients, followed at a tertiary hospital and 45 healthy controls, all of them without a previous diagnosis of COVID-19. Data was obtained by a questionnaire with demographic data, symptoms compatible with COVID-19 over the previous year, and contact with people with confirmed COVID-19. Patient's medical records were reviewed to access data regarding disease and current medications. A qualitative immunochromatographic SARS-CoV-2 test was performed on all participants. RESULTS: Patients and controls were similar in terms of female gender (70.1% vs. 57.8%, p = 0.173), age (14 vs. 13 years, p = 0.269) and SARS-CoV-2 positive serology (22% vs. 15.5%, p = 0.481). 80.5% of rheumatic patients were in use of immunosuppressive drugs: 27.3% of them used corticosteroids (33.3% in high doses), and 7.8% on immunobiologicals. No statistical differences were found between positive (n = 17) and negative serology (n = 60) patients regarding demographic/socioeconomic data, contact with people with confirmed COVID-19, use and number of immunosuppressive drugs, use and dose of corticosteroids, use of hydroxychloroquine and immunobiological drugs (p > 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Pediatric rheumatic disease patients were infected at the same rate as healthy ones. Neither the underlying pathology nor its immunosuppressive treatment seemed to interfere with contagion risk.

Seroconversion in asymptomatic COVID-19 pediatric patients with rheumatic diseases of one tertiary referral hospital

Objectives To evaluate seroconverted asymptomatic COVID-19 in pediatric Autoimmune Rheumatic Diseases (ARDs) patients and to identify the risk factors related to contagion. Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted in March 2021, before vaccination of children and adolescents in Brazil, including 77 pediatric ARDs patients, followed at a tertiary hospital and 45 healthy controls, all of them without a previous diagnosis of COVID-19. Data was obtained by a questionnaire with demographic data, symptoms compatible with COVID-19 over the previous year, and contact with people with confirmed COVID-19. Patient's medical records were reviewed to access data regarding disease and current medications. A qualitative immunochromatographic SARS-CoV-2 test was performed on all participants. Results Patients and controls were similar in terms of female gender (70.1% vs. 57.8%, p = 0.173), age (14 vs. 13 years, p = 0.269) and SARS-CoV-2 positive serology (22% vs. 15.5%, p = 0.481). 80.5% of rheumatic patients were in use of immunosuppressive drugs: 27.3% of them used corticosteroids (33.3% in high doses), and 7.8% on immunobiologicals. No statistical differences were found between positive (n = 17) and negative serology (n = 60) patients regarding demographic/socioeconomic data, contact with people with confirmed COVID-19, use and number of immunosuppressive drugs, use and dose of corticosteroids, use of hydroxychloroquine and immunobiological drugs (p > 0.05). Conclusions Pediatric rheumatic disease patients were infected at the same rate as healthy ones. Neither the underlying pathology nor its immunosuppressive treatment seemed to interfere with contagion risk.

Seroconversion in asymptomatic COVID-19 pediatric patients with rheumatic diseases of one tertiary referral hospital

Abstract Objectives: To evaluate seroconverted asymptomatic COVID-19 in pediatric Autoimmune Rheumatic Diseases (ARDs) patients and to identify the risk factors related to contagion. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted in March 2021, before vaccination of children and adolescents in Brazil, including 77 pediatric ARDs patients, followed at a tertiary hospital and 45 healthy controls, all of them without a previous diagnosis of COVID-19. Data was obtained by a questionnaire with demographic data, symptoms compatible with COVID-19 over the previous year, and contact with people with confirmed COVID-19. Patient's medical records were reviewed to access data regarding disease and current medications. A qualitative immunochromatographic SARS-CoV-2 test was performed on all participants. Results: Patients and controls were similar in terms of female gender (70.1% vs. 57.8%, p = 0.173), age (14 vs. 13 years, p = 0.269) and SARS-CoV-2 positive serology (22% vs. 15.5%, p = 0.481). 80.5% of rheumatic patients were in use of immunosuppressive drugs: 27.3% of them used corticosteroids (33.3% in high doses), and 7.8% on immunobiologicals. No statistical differences were found between positive (n = 17) and negative serology (n = 60) patients regarding demographic/socioeconomic data, contact with people with confirmed COVID-19, use and number of immunosuppressive drugs, use and dose of corticosteroids, use of hydroxychloroquine and immunobiological drugs (p > 0.05). Conclusions: Pediatric rheumatic disease patients were infected at the same rate as healthy ones. Neither the underlying pathology nor its immunosuppressive treatment seemed to interfere with contagion risk.

Inactivated trivalent influenza vaccination is associated with lower mortality among patients with COVID-19 in Brazil.

OBJECTIVE: To estimate associations between trivalent influenza vaccination and COVID-19 mortality as well as severe clinical outcomes among hospitalised patients. DESIGN: Retrospective observational study. SETTING: This study was conducted among hospitalised patients with COVID-19 in Brazil. PARTICIPANTS: We analysed all hospitalised patients with COVID-19 with available vaccination information captured in Brazil's national electronic respiratory infection data system between 1 January 2020 and 23 June 2020. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The primary outcomes were age-specific mortality rates of hospitalised patients with COVID-19 with and without recent inactivated trivalent influenza vaccination. RESULTS: A total of 53 752 clinically confirmed COVID-19 cases were analysed. Controlling for health facility of treatment, comorbidities as well as an extensive range of sociodemographic factors, patients who received a recent influenza vaccine experienced on average 7% lower odds of needing intensive care treatment (95% CI 0.87 to 0.98), 17% lower odds of requiring invasive respiratory support (95% CI 0.77 to 0.88) and 16% lower odds of death (95% CI 0.78 to 0.90). Protective effects were larger when the vaccine was administered after onset of symptoms as well as among younger patients. CONCLUSION: Patients with COVID-19 with recent inactivated influenza vaccination experience significantly better health outcomes than non-vaccinated patients in Brazil. Beneficial off-target effects of influenza vaccination through trained innate immune responses seem plausible and need to be further explored. Large-scale promotion of influenza vaccines seems advisable, especially in populations at high risk for severe COVID-19 disease progression.

Uma experiencia de ensino de propedeutica pediatrica em ambulatorio / A pediatric propaedeutic teaching experience in an ambulatory

Os autores descrevem uma experiencia de ensino de propedeutica pediatrica em ambulatorio, para o curso de terceiro ano de Medicina da FMUSP. O enfoque principal e a comunicacao na relacao entre aluno e paciente na realizacao da amamnese...