Baseline characteristics and symptoms in children in Alberta with at least 1 symptom who were tested for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 infection
| Variable | No. (%) in patients with positive SARS-CoV-2 swab* n = 1273 | No. (%) in patients with negative SARS-CoV-2 swab* n = 265 | Unadjusted OR (95% CI) | Unadjusted positive LR for SARS-CoV-2 infection (95% CI) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Demographic characteristic | ||||
| Age, yr; mean ± SD | 9.8 ± 5.4 | 8.4 ± 5.3 | NA | NA |
| Age 0–4 yr | 281 (22.1) | 80 (30.2) | 0.66 (0.49–0.88) | 0.73 (0.59–0.90) |
| Age 5–12 yr | 482 (37.9) | 110 (41.5) | 0.86 (0.66–1.12) | 0.91 (0.78–1.07) |
| Age 13–17 yr | 510 (40.1) | 75 (28.3) | 1.69 (1.27–2.26) | 1.42 (1.16–1.73) |
| Male sex | 629 (49.4) | 142 (53.6) | 0.85 (0.65–1.10) | 0.92 (0.81–1.04) |
| Symptom | ||||
| Anosmia/ageusia | 153 (12.0) | 5 (1.9) | 7.10 (2.89–17.49) | 6.37 (2.64–15.37) |
| Nausea/vomiting | 69 (5.4) | Suppressed as count < 5 | 5.00 (1.56–16.02) | 4.79 (1.52–15.10) |
| Headache | 312 (24.5) | 30 (11.3) | 2.54 (1.70–3.80) | 2.16 (1.52–3.07) |
| Decreased appetite/anorexia | 71 (5.6) | 9 (3.4) | 1.68 (0.83–3.41) | 1.64 (0.83–3.24) |
| Sneezing | 132 (10.4) | 18 (6.8) | 1.59 (0.95–2.65) | 1.53 (0.95–2.45) |
| Fever or feverish chills | 506 (39.7) | 72 (27.2) | 1.77 (1.32–2.37) | 1.46 (1.19–1.80) |
| Muscle/joint pain (myalgia, arthralgia, muscular or joint pain) | 56 (4.4) | 8 (3.0) | 1.48 (0.70–3.14) | 1.46 (0.70–3.02) |
| Malaise | 165 (13.0) | 25 (9.4) | 1.43 (0.92–2.23) | 1.37 (0.92–2.05) |
| Nasal congestion | 241 (18.9) | 46 (17.4) | 1.11 (0.79–1.57) | 1.09 (0.82–1.45) |
| Fatigue | 31 (2.4) | 6 (2.3) | 1.08 (0.44–2.61) | 1.08 (0.45–2.55) |
| Difficulty breathing/dyspnea | 31 (2.4) | 6 (2.3) | 1.08 (0.44–2.61) | 1.08 (0.45–2.55) |
| Sore throat | 311 (24.4) | 67 (25.3) | 0.96 (0.70–1.30) | 0.97 (0.77–1.21) |
| Diarrhea | 57 (4.5) | 13 (4.9) | 0.91 (0.49–1.68) | 0.91 (0.51–1.64) |
| Cough | 486 (38.2) | 121 (45.7) | 0.73 (0.56–0.96) | 0.84 (0.72–0.97) |
| Rhinorrhea | 383 (30.1) | 105 (39.6) | 0.66 (0.50–0.86) | 0.76 (0.64–0.90) |
| Chest pain | 15 (1.2) | Suppressed as count < 5 | NA | NA |
| Conjunctivitis | 11 (0.9) | Suppressed as count < 5 | NA | NA |
Note: CI = confidence interval, NA = not applicable, LR = likelihood ratio, OR = odds ratio, SARS-CoV-2 = severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2, SD = standard deviation.
↵* Unless specified otherwise.