Evidence map›Paper›PMID 35271694›Full record

ArticleClinical infectious diseases : an official publication of the Infectious Diseases Society of America2022

Predictive Value of Isolated Symptoms for Diagnosis of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 Infection in Children Tested During Peak Circulation of the Delta Variant.

Adrianna L Westbrook, Laura C Benedit, Jennifer K Frediani, Mark A Griffiths, Nabeel Y Khan, Joshua M Levy, Claudia R Morris, Christina A Rostad, Cheryl L Stone, Julie Sullivan and 6 more

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Clinical infectious diseases : an official publication of the Infectious Diseases Society of America, 2022. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
3citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

3 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.

  1. Neurological manifestations associated with SARS-CoV-2 infection in pediatric patients: a systematic review.Revista paulista de pediatria : orgao oficial da Sociedade de Pediatria de Sao Paulo · 2025
    Pooled it
  2. Article
  3. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

16 authors.

Adrianna L WestbrookPediatric Biostatistics Core, Department of Pediatrics, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia, USA.ORCID 0000-0001-9309-6205
Laura C BeneditDepartment of Clinical Research, Children's Healthcare of Atlanta, Atlanta, Georgia, USA.
Jennifer K FredianiNell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia, USA.
Mark A GriffithsChildren's Healthcare of Atlanta, Atlanta, Georgia, USA.
Nabeel Y KhanDepartment of Pediatrics, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia, USA.
Joshua M LevyDepartment of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia, USA.
Claudia R MorrisDepartment of Pediatrics, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia, USA.
Christina A RostadChildren's Healthcare of Atlanta, Atlanta, Georgia, USA.
Cheryl L StoneDepartment of Clinical Research, Children's Healthcare of Atlanta, Atlanta, Georgia, USA.
Julie SullivanDepartment of Pediatrics, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia, USA.
Miriam B VosChildren's Healthcare of Atlanta, Atlanta, Georgia, USA.
Jean WelshChildren's Healthcare of Atlanta, Atlanta, Georgia, USA.
Anna WoodPediatric Biostatistics Core, Department of Pediatrics, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia, USA.
Greg S MartinDepartment of Medicine, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia, USA.
Wilbur LamDepartment of Pediatrics, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia, USA.
Nira R PollockDepartment of Laboratory Medicine, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.

Funding

Technology Training and Dissemination CoreU54EB027690 · NIBIB · EMORY UNIVERSITY · PI Wilbur A Lam, GREGORY S MARTIN · 2018 to 2026
$96.1M
Implementing a Maternal health and PRegnancy Outcomes Vision for Everyone (IMPROVE)UL1TR002378 · NCATS · EMORY UNIVERSITY · PI Andres J Garcia, Elizabeth O. Ofili · 2017 to 2026
$92.1M
NCATS NIH HHS UL1 TR002378NIBIB NIH HHS U54 EB027690
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundCoronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) testing policies for symptomatic children attending US schools or daycare vary, and whether isolated symptoms should prompt testing is unclear. We evaluated children presenting for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) testing to determine if the likelihood of having a positive SARS-CoV-2 test differed between participants with 1 symptom vs ≥2 symptoms, and to examine the predictive capability of isolated symptoms.

methodsParticipants aged <18 years presenting for clinical SARS-CoV-2 molecular testing in 6 sites in urban/suburban/rural Georgia (July-October, 2021; Delta variant predominant) were queried about individual symptoms. Participants were classified into 3 groups: asymptomatic, 1 symptom only, or ≥2 symptoms. SARS-CoV-2 test results and clinical characteristics of the 3 groups were compared. Sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive values (PPVs), and negative predictive values (NPVs) for isolated symptoms were calculated by fitting a saturated Poisson model.

resultsOf 602 participants, 21.8% tested positive and 48.7% had a known or suspected close contact. Children reporting 1 symptom (n = 82; odds ratio [OR], 6.00 [95% confidence interval {CI}, 2.70-13.33]) and children reporting ≥2 symptoms (n = 365; OR, 5.25 [95% CI, 2.66-10.38]) were significantly more likely to have a positive COVID-19 test than asymptomatic children (n = 155), but they were not significantly different from each other (OR, 0.88 [95% CI, .52-1.49]). Sensitivity and PPV were highest for isolated fever (33% and 57%, respectively), cough (25% and 32%), and sore throat (21% and 45%); headache had low sensitivity (8%) but higher PPV (33%). Sensitivity and PPV of isolated congestion/rhinorrhea were 8% and 9%, respectively.

conclusionsWith high Delta variant prevalence, children with isolated symptoms were as likely as those with multiple symptoms to test positive for COVID-19. Isolated fever, cough, sore throat, or headache, but not congestion/rhinorrhea, offered the highest predictive value.

Indexed as

COVID-19PharyngitisChildCoughCOVID-19 TestingFeverHeadacheHumansRhinorrheaSARS-CoV-2childrenCOVID-19SARS-CoV-2symptomtesting

Identifiers

PMID35271694
PMCPMC8992302

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.