Diarrhea and Vomiting May Be Sign COVID-19 in Children, Study

Researchers of North Ireland Queen’s University Belfast said on Thursday that vomiting and diarrhea could be a relevant COVID-19 symptom in children.

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Doctors and epidemiologists have described muscle pain, fatigue, confusion, chest pain, and gastrointestinal issues as the most frequent COVID-19 symptomatology in adults. Because children are often asymptomatic, their clinical showings regarding the virus are still yet to determine.

“In our group, diarrhea and vomiting were more predictive than, say, cough, or even changes in smell and taste. If you want to actually diagnose infection in children, we need to start looking at diarrhea and vomiting, not just upper respiratory tract symptoms,” said research lead author Dr. Tom Waterfield.

U.K. National Hospital Services assess body temperature, cough, and smell or taste loss as infants COVID-19 disease pattern. The recent findings add other aspects to the regular clinical presentation of the virus, helping the doctors to establish a more accurate diagnose. 

Out of the 68 children that tested positive for COVID-19 in the study, 31% had a fever, 18% suffered a headache, and about 19% had diarrhea, vomiting, and stomach pain.

With many children being asymptomatic at the moment of the diagnose, doctors would know what to look for during case-tracking in an infection chain.

“Lots of children will have a running nose this winter and sneezing – that is not a sign,” Dr. Waterfield said, referring to the possible overlap of most common COVID-signs and regular seasonal flu.