Evidence map›Paper›PMID 35544738›Full record

Observational studyThe Pediatric infectious disease journal2022

COVID-19 in Children: Correlation Between Epidemiologic, Clinical Characteristics, and RT-qPCR Cycle Threshold Values.

Angela Gentile, María Del Valle Juarez, María Florencia Lucion, María Natalia Pejito, Sofia Alexay, Ana Sofia Orqueda, Lucia Romero Bollon, Alicia Mistchenko

Abstract readObservational Study
In one paragraph

Observational study in The Pediatric infectious disease journal, 2022. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 5 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
5citing papers in PubMed
–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

5 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Digital PCR to Measure SARS-CoV-2 RNA, Variants, and Outcomes in Youth.Journal of the Pediatric Infectious Diseases Society · 2023
    Article
  2. Article
  3. Article
  4. Article
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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

8 authors.

Angela GentileFrom the Epidemiology, Ricardo Gutiérrez Children's Hospital, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
María Del Valle JuarezFrom the Epidemiology, Ricardo Gutiérrez Children's Hospital, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
María Florencia LucionFrom the Epidemiology, Ricardo Gutiérrez Children's Hospital, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
María Natalia PejitoFrom the Epidemiology, Ricardo Gutiérrez Children's Hospital, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
Sofia AlexayVirology, Ricardo Gutiérrez Children's Hospital, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
Ana Sofia OrquedaFrom the Epidemiology, Ricardo Gutiérrez Children's Hospital, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
Lucia Romero BollonFrom the Epidemiology, Ricardo Gutiérrez Children's Hospital, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
Alicia MistchenkoVirology, Ricardo Gutiérrez Children's Hospital, Buenos Aires, Argentina.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundInitially, the impact of SARS-CoV-2 infection on children was unknown. Standard COVID-19 diagnosis is confirmed using real-time qPCR. Cycle threshold (Ct) values of RT-qPCR are inversely proportional to viral load and the test indirectly quantifies viral RNA copy numbers. The objective of this study was to determine the correlation between epidemiology, clinical characteristics, severity of confirmed COVID-19 cases, and Ct values.

methodsAn observational, analytical, cross-sectional study. All children with COVID-19 under 18 years old admitted to the Ricardo Gutiérrez Children's Hospital between March 1, 2020, and February 28, 2021, were included. SARS-CoV-2 infection was confirmed using RT-qPCR.

resultsMedian age of patients was 7 years. Ct values were estimated in 419 cases, median Ct value was 23.5 [interquartile range (IQR): 18.9-30.9]. Levels were significantly lower in symptomatic than asymptomatic patients (Ct: 22.1; IQR: 18.4-22.1), in children <2 years of age (Ct: 20.6; IQR: 17.3-27.3) and when sample collection was <4 days after symptom onset (Ct: 21.1; IQR: 18.1-27.5). In children >2 years of age, Ct values were significantly lower in symptomatic (Ct: 22.6; IQR: 18.7-29.3) than asymptomatic (Ct: 31.2; IQR: 24.5-33.3) patients.

conclusionsChildren younger than 2 years with COVID-19 have lower values of Ct-as a proxy for higher viral load-than older children. Symptomatic children over 2 years of age had lower Ct values compared with asymptomatic children.

Indexed as

COVID-19AdolescentChildCOVID-19 TestingCross-Sectional StudiesHumansSARS-CoV-2Viral Load

Identifiers

PMID35544738
PMCPMC9281424

What OpenQuestion holds

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Registered trials

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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.