Abstract
Objective: To evaluate the necessity of Covid-19 vaccination in children aged < 12 y by comparing the clinical characteristics between unvaccinated children aged < 12 y and vaccinated patients aged ≥ 12y during the Delta surge (B.1.617.2) in Putian, Fujian, China.
Methods: A total of 226 patients with SARS-Cov-2 Delta variant (B.1.167.2; confirmed by Real-time PCR positivity and sequencing) were enrolled from Sep 10th to Oct 20th, 2021, including 77 unvaccinated children (aged < 12y) and 149 people aged ≥ 12y, mostly vaccinated. The transmission route was explored and the clinical data of two groups were compared; The effect factors for the time of the nucleic acid negativization (NAN) were examined by R statistical analysis.
Results: The Delta surge in Putian spread from children in schools to factories, mostly through family contact. Compared with those aged ≥ 12y, patients aged < 12y accounted for 34.07% of the total and showed milder fever, less cough and fatigue; they reported higher peripheral blood lymphocyte counts [1.84 (1.32, 2.71)×10^9/L vs. 1.31 (0.94, 1.85)×10^9/L; p <0.05), higher normal CRP rate (92.21% vs. 57.72%), lower IL-6 levels [5.28 (3.31, 8.13) vs. 9.10 (4.37, 15.14); p <0.05]. Upon admission, their COVID19 antibodies (IgM and IgG) and IgG in convalescence were lower [0.13 (0.00, 0.09) vs. 0.12 (0.03, 0.41), p <0.05; 0.02 (0.00, 0.14) vs. 1.94 (0.54, 6.40), p <0.05; 5.46 (2.41, 9.26) vs. 73.63 (54.63, 86.55), p <0.05, respectively], but longer NAN time (18 days vs. 16 days, p =0.13).
Conclusion: Unvaccinated children may be an important link in the transmission of SARS-CoV-2 delta variant (B1.617.2), which indicated an urgent need of vaccination for this particular population.
Keywords: COVID 19; children; clinical features; delta variants; vaccination.
【저자키워드】 vaccination, children, Clinical features, COVID 19, Delta variants, 【초록키워드】 IgG, COVID19, vaccination, Clinical characteristics, antibody, IL-6, Sequencing, variant, Delta, B.1.617.2, CRP, Transmission, cough, delta variant, Clinical features, Peripheral blood, COVID, Spread, China, Lymphocyte count, lymphocyte, nucleic acid, Schools, COVID-19 vaccination, Fever, Patient, convalescence, School, Admission, Delta variants, PCR positivity, Contact, statistical analysis, IgM and IgG, Factor, two groups, Clinical data, transmission of SARS-CoV-2, B.1.167.2, peripheral blood lymphocyte counts, R statistical analysis, enrolled, evaluate, examined, reported, indicated, accounted, less, two group, IL-6 level, 【제목키워드】 SARS-CoV-2, Delta, clinical, Comparative, recent,