The outcomes of COVID‐19 pneumonia in children—clinical, radiographic, and pulmonary function assessment

Objectives The goal of this study was to assess the pulmonary sequelae of COVID‐19 pneumonia in children. Study Design Children (0–18 years old) diagnosed with COVID‐19 pneumonia hospitalized between March 2020 and March 2021 were included in this observational study. All children underwent follow‐up visits 3 months postdischarge, and if any abnormalities were stated, a second visit after the next 3 months was scheduled. Clinical assessment included medical history, physical examination, lung ultrasound (LUS) using a standardized protocol, and pulmonary function tests (PFTs). PFTs results were compared with healthy children. Results Forty‐one patients with COVID‐19 pneumonia (severe disease n = 3, mechanical ventilation, n = 0) were included in the study. Persistent symptoms were reported by seven (17.1%) children, the most common was decreased exercise tolerance (57.1%), dyspnea (42.9%), and cough (42.9%). The most prevalent abnormalities in LUS were coalescent B‐lines (37%) and small subpleural consolidations (29%). The extent of LUS abnormalities was significantly greater at the first than at the second follow‐up visit (p = 0.03). There were no significant differences in PFTs results neither between the study group and healthy children nor between the two follow‐up visits in the study group. Conclusions Our study shows that children might experience long‐term sequelae following COVID‐19 pneumonia. In the majority of cases, these are mild and resolve over time.