SARS-CoV-2 Infection in Venezuelan Pediatric Patients: A Single Center Prospective Observational Study

Several studies suggest that children infected with SARS-CoV-2 have fewer clinical manifestations than adults; when they develop symptoms, they rarely progress to severe disease. Different immunological theories have been proposed to explain this phenomenon. In September 2020, 16% of the active COVID-19 cases in Venezuela were children under 19 years. We conducted a cross-sectional study of pediatric patients' immune response and clinical conditions with SARS-CoV-2 infection. The patients were admitted to the COVID-19 area of the emergency department of Dr José Manuel de los Ríos Children's Hospital (2021-2022). The lymphocyte subpopulations were analysed by flow cytometry, and IFNγ, IL-6 and IL-10 serum concentrations were quantified using commercial ELISA assays. The analysis was conducted on 72 patients aged one month and 18 years. The majority, 52.8%, had mild disease, and 30.6 % were diagnosed with MIS-C. The main symptoms reported were fever, cough and diarrhoea. A correlation was found between IL-10 and IL-6 concentrations and age group; lymphocyte subpopulations and nutritional status and steroid use; IL-6 concentrations and clinical severity. The results suggest a different immune response depending on age and nutritional status that should be considered for treating pediatric COVID-19 patients.