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Changing clinical characteristics of pediatric inpatients with pneumonia during COVID-19 pandamic: a retrospective study
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  • Mengxue Chen,
  • Yabing Zhou,
  • Shengjie Jin,
  • Shasha Bai,
  • Xiaoyu Tang,
  • Quanhua Liu,
  • Liwei Wang,
  • Ruoxu Ji,
  • Haipei Liu,
  • Wenwei Zhong,
  • Yi Chen,
  • Dingzhu Fang,
  • Jianhua Zhang,
  • Li Hua
Mengxue Chen
Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine
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Yabing Zhou
Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine
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Shengjie Jin
The Hang Seng University of Hong Kong
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Shasha Bai
Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine
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Xiaoyu Tang
Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine
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Quanhua Liu
Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine
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Liwei Wang
Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine
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Ruoxu Ji
Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine
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Haipei Liu
Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine
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Wenwei Zhong
Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine
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Yi Chen
Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine
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Dingzhu Fang
Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine
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Jianhua Zhang
Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine
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Li Hua
Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine

Corresponding Author:huali991229@163.com

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Abstract

Background: The COVID‐19 pandemic have impacts on the prevalence of other [pathogen](javascript:;)s and people’s social lifestyle. This study aimed to compare the [pathogen](javascript:;), allergen and micronutrient characteristics of pediatric inpatients with pneumonia prior to and during the COVID-19 pandemic in a large tertiary hospital in Shanghai, China. Methods: Patients with pneumonia admitted to the Department of Pediatric Pulmonology of Xinhua Hospital between March-August 2019 and March-August 2020 were recruited. And clinical characteristics of the patients in 2019 were compared with those in 2020. Results: Hospitalizations for pneumonia decreased by 74% after the COVID-19 pandemic. For [pathogen](javascript:;)s, virus, mycoplasma pneumoniae (MP) and mixed infection rates were all much lower in 2020 than those in 2019 ( P < 0.01). Regarding allergens, compared with 2019, the positive rates of house dust mite, shrimp and crab were significantly higher in 2020 ( P < 0.01). And for micronutrients, the levels of vitamin B2, B6, C and 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) in 2020 were observed to be significantly lower than those in 2019 ( P < 0.05). For all the study participants, longer hospital stay (OR = 1.521, P = 0.000), milk allergy (OR = 6.552, P = 0.033) and [calcium](javascript:;) (Ca) insufficiency (OR = 12.048, P = 0.019) were identified as high-risk factors for severe pneumonia by multivariate analysis. Conclusions: The number of children hospitalized with pneumonia and incidence of common pathogen infections were both reduced, and that allergy and micronutrient status in children were also changed after the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic.