Dermatologic Presentations of SARS-CoV-2 Infection in Children: Assessment of Rash Frequency and Related Factors

Introduction: Rash is a common complaint in children and may have diverse etiologies. Therefore, its differential diagnosis can be extensive. This study aimed to investigate the frequency of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and rash in children with suspected COVID-19 clinical symptoms. Methods: This descriptive cross-sectional study investigated the frequency of COVID-19 and skin rash in children with clinical symptoms associated with COVID-19 referred to Besat Clinic and Afzalipour Hospital, in Kerman, in 2020. To check for COVID-19 infection, polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test was performed by nasopharyngeal swab. A 1-mL blood sample was sent to the lab to be tested for immunoglobulin-M (IgM) and IgG serology using Pishtaz Teb Company’s ELISA kits. To analyze the data, descriptive (prevalence, percentage, mean, and standard deviation) and analytical (independent samples t-test) statistics were used. The analyses were performed by SPSS software version 26. Results: In this study, 107 children with skin rash and positive PCR test results for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) were included. Boys accounted for 62.4% of the sample. The symptoms most observed in the children were cough, diarrhea, and vomiting, in descending order of prevalence. Examination of skin manifestations showed that 16.8% of children had skin rash. In 1.9% of children, skin itching was present. There was no significant difference in the serum levels of IgM and IgG between patients with skin rash and without skin rash (P > 0.05). Conclusion: In this study, 16.8% of children had skin rash, and 1.9% had itchy skin. Cutaneous involvement is helpful in clinical decision-making, as well as designing health literacy tools.