TY - JOUR A1 - Hoehl, Sebastian A1 - Schneider, Felix A1 - Eckrich, Martin A1 - Gründler, Tim Ole A1 - Jerkic, Silvija-Pera A1 - Lichtenstein, Geri A1 - Melcher, Birgit A1 - Melcher, Hansjörg A1 - Moebus, Ralf A1 - Mühlfeld, Barbara A1 - Rieger, Ilonka A1 - Seger-Fritz, Beate A1 - Sgoll, Stefan A1 - Walter, Christian A1 - Werner, Sebastian A1 - Herrmann, Eva A1 - Berger, Annemarie A1 - Ciesek, Sandra T1 - COVID-19 among children seeking primary paediatric care with signs of an acute infection T2 - Acta paediatrica N2 - Aim: It can be challenging to distinguish COVID-19 in children from other common infections. We set out to determine the rate at which children consulting a primary care paediatrician with an acute infection are infected with SARS-CoV-2 and to compare distinct findings. Method: In seven out-patient clinics, children aged 0–13 years with any new respiratory or gastrointestinal symptoms and presumed infection were invited to be tested for SARS-CoV-2. Factors that were correlated with testing positive were determined. Samples were collected from 25 January 2021 to 01 April 2021. Results: Seven hundred and eighty-three children participated in the study (median age 3 years and 0 months, range 1 month to 12 years and 11 months). Three hundred and fifty-eight were female (45.7%). SARS-CoV-2 RNA was detected in 19 (2.4%). The most common symptoms in children with as well as without detectable SARS-CoV-2 RNA were rhinitis, fever and cough. Known recent exposure to a case of COVID-19 was significantly correlated with testing positive, but symptoms or clinical findings were not. Conclusion: COVID-19 among the children with symptoms of an acute infection was uncommon, and the clinical presentation did not differ significantly between children with and without evidence of an infection with SARS-CoV-2. KW - COVID-19 KW - influenza KW - out-patient paediatrics KW - respiratory tract infection KW - SARS-CoV-2 Y1 - 2021 UR - http://publikationen.ub.uni-frankfurt.de/frontdoor/index/index/docId/63901 UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:hebis:30:3-639018 SN - 1651-2227 N1 - The study was supported by Roche Diagnostics, Basel, Switzerland. VL - 110 IS - 12 SP - 3315 EP - 3321 PB - Wiley-Blackwell CY - Oxford [u.a.] ER -