Confirmed Cases of Covid-19 among Children, A Multicenter Study in Kuwait

Altayar, Eman; Eldinary, Amal Mohamed Mahmoud; Abou Elhassan, Hanaa Abou Elyazid

doi:10.21608/ijma.2025.357512.2126

Confirmed Cases of Covid-19 among Children, A Multicenter Study in Kuwait

Articles in Press

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

¹ Directorate of Public Health, Ministry of Health, Kuwait

² Public Health and Community Medicine, Community and Occupational Medicine Department, Faculty of Medicine for Girls, Cairo, Al-Azhar University

³ community medicine department, faculty of medicine Al-Azhar university, Cairo, Egypt

10.21608/ijma.2025.357512.2126

Abstract

Background: Children represent a growing proportion of confirmed COVID-19 cases. While pediatric COVID-19 is generally milder than in adults, gaps remain in understanding its epidemiology in Kuwait. This study aimed to determine the incidence, symptom prevalence, severity, and outcomes of COVID-19 among children in Kuwait. Methods: A retrospective cohort study analyzed confirmed pediatric cases diagnosed in Kuwait from January to December 2021. Data were sourced from (1) the Ministry of Health database for national incidence estimates, (2) digital records from ten COVID-19 centers across all governorates, and (3) hospital files from Farwaniya Hospital. Clinical presentation, comorbidities, severity, and outcomes were assessed. The incidence rate was calculated using Public Authority for Civil Information (PACI) population data. Results: The estimated incidence of COVID-19 among children in 2021 was 4,391 cases per 100,000 children (4.39%). Nearly half of confirmed cases were asymptomatic. Hospitalization was required for 3.2% of pediatric cases in Farwaniya governorate, with respiratory symptoms being most common. Comorbidities were present in 29.4% of hospitalized children, most commonly congenital anomalies. Conclusion: Most pediatric COVID-19 cases in Kuwait were mild or asymptomatic, with low hospitalization rates. However, children with moderate or severe disease were more likely to have comorbidities. These findings highlight the need for continued surveillance and targeted public health strategies to protect vulnerable pediatric populations.

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