Incidence of acute respiratory symptoms and COVID-19 infection in children in public schools in Bogotá, Colombia, from July to November, 2020

• Published in: Biomédica
• Main Authors: José Moreno-Montoya, Diana Benavides-Arias, Luz Amparo Pérez, Jennifer Ruiz, Deidamia García, Iván Osejo, Edwin Ussa, Camilo Pino, Fernando Pío de La Hoz
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English; Spanish
• Published: Instituto Nacional de Salud 2021
• Subjects: coronavirus infections; respiratory tract infections; communicable diseases; epidemiology; surveillance; adolescent; child; Medicine; R; Arctic medicine. Tropical medicine; RC955-962; Arctic
• Online Access: https://doi.org/10.7705/biomedica.6166; https://doaj.org/article/587612f2849a4534b7eaa32cd7b67515

Introduction: More than 90% of children infected with COVID-19 worldwide developed mild to moderate disease. In Colombia, during 2020, COVID-19 infections in children stayed below 9.2% of the total cases, with no trends for age group or sex. Objective: To estimate the incidence of acute respiratory symptoms and COVID-19 in children from public schools in Bogotá, Colombia during the second semester of 2020. Material and methods: A telephone survey was conducted in over 5,000 scholar children. Antecedents and use of health services were informed. Descriptive statistics were used. Results: A total of 151.470 persons per day accounting for an IR of 157,8 per 100,000 people; almost three times the rate reported by the official surveillance system in the city. Conclusion: A lack of diagnosis and consultation in children was found compared to the general population. Further research is needed to elucidate the true burden of the disease in children.