Co-infections and COVID-19 in Children: An Observational Study

Acute illness iscaused by bacteria, viruses, and parasites.Co-infection is the simultaneous infectionof a host by multiple pathogens resulting in a delay in diagnosis and bad prognosis.Currentlycorona virus infection is a pandemic and global health concern. Coronavirus infection in children withconcomitant other infections is rarely reported in our country. This study was performed to find out the corona virus infectionassociated with recent illnesses to minimize morbidity and mortality. Study was done at Dr. M R Khan Shishu Hospital & ICH from April 2020 to June 2020. Patient with fever, rash, vomiting, diarrhea, cough, respiratory distress, dysuria, convulsion, jaundice and other symptoms; admitted in hospital were taken for this study. Diagnosis was made by clinical symptoms plus investigations accordingly and appropriate treatment was given for recent illnesses. During follow up these cases; there was persistence of symptoms and some other new features appeared. These arouse our suspicion that there might be associated with corona virus infection in this pandemic. Thirty cases were taken co-infection with COVID19.Age was found 4 months to 8 years.Male female ratio was 1.5: 1.Typhoid fever with COVID-1912(40%), Bacterial meningitis with COVID-196(20%), UTI with COVID-19 3(10%), Paratyphoid fever with COVID192(6.7%), Typhus/ Rickettsial fever withCOVID-19 2(6.7%),HAV infection withCOVID-192(6.7%),HEV infection withCOVID-19 1 (3.3%), Septic arthritis with COVID-191 (3.3%), Atypical pneumonia with COVID191 (3.3%) were found. RT-PCR was positive forCOVID-1930(100%), blood culture was positive for Salmonella Typhi 4(13.3%), Widal test was reactive (high rising titer) 8(26.7%), Latex agglutination test was positive for bacterial meningitis 6(20%), urine culture was positive for E.coli 3(10%), blood culture was positive for Salmonella Para typhi A 2(6.7%), Weil-Felix reaction was found (high rising titer) 2(6.7%), Anti HAV IgM was positive 2(6.7%), Anti HEV IgM was positive 1(3.3%), Blood culturewas positive for Septic arthritis 1(3.3%), blood culture was positive for Mycoplasma Pneumoniae 1(3.3%). This study showed that COVID-19 in Bangladeshi children was found associated with co-infections. So, coinfection with COVID-19 patients should be closely monitored and managed accordingly.