{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,2,27]],"date-time":"2026-02-27T16:45:48Z","timestamp":1772210748305,"version":"3.50.1"},"reference-count":25,"publisher":"Public Library of Science (PLoS)","issue":"12","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2021,12,13]],"date-time":"2021-12-13T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1639353600000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"http:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["www.plosone.org"],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["PLoS ONE"],"abstract":"\n Purpose<\/jats:title>\n To evaluate the diagnostic value of symptoms used by daycares and schools to screen children and adolescents for SARS-CoV-2 infection, we analyzed data from a primary care setting.<\/jats:p>\n <\/jats:sec>\n \n Methods<\/jats:title>\n This cohort study included all patients \u226417 years old who were evaluated at Providence Community Health Centers (PCHC; Providence, U.S.), for COVID-19 symptoms and\/or exposure, and received SARS-CoV-2 polymerase chain reaction (PCR) testing between March-June 2020. Participants were identified from PCHC electronic medical records. For three age groups\u2013 0\u20134, 5\u201311, and 12\u201317 years\u2013we estimated the sensitivity, specificity, and area under the receiver operating curve (AUC) of individual symptoms and three symptom combinations: a case definition published by the Rhode Island Department of Health (RIDOH), and two novel combinations generated by different statistical approaches to maximize sensitivity, specificity, and AUC. We evaluated symptom combinations both with and without consideration of COVID-19 exposure. Myalgia, headache, sore throat, abdominal pain, nausea, anosmia, and ageusia were not assessed in 0\u20134 year-olds due to the lower reliability of these symptoms in this group.<\/jats:p>\n <\/jats:sec>\n \n Results<\/jats:title>\n Of 555 participants, 217 (39.1%) were SARS-CoV-2-infected. Fever was more common among 0\u20134 years-olds (p = 0.002); older children more frequently reported fatigue (p = 0.02). In children \u22655 years old, anosmia or ageusia had 94\u201398% specificity. In all ages, exposure history most accurately predicted infection. With respect to individual symptoms, cough most accurately predicted infection in <5 year-olds (AUC 0.69) and 12\u201317 year-olds (AUC 0.62), while headache was most accurate in 5\u201311 year-olds (AUC 0.62). In combination with exposure history, the novel symptom combinations generated statistically to maximize test characteristics had sensitivity >95% but specificity <30%. No symptom or symptom combination had AUC \u22650.70.<\/jats:p>\n <\/jats:sec>\n \n Conclusions<\/jats:title>\n Anosmia or ageusia in children \u22655 years old should raise providers\u2019 index of suspicion for COVID-19. However, our overall findings underscore the limited diagnostic value of symptoms.<\/jats:p>\n <\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.1371\/journal.pone.0249980","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2021,12,13]],"date-time":"2021-12-13T13:26:07Z","timestamp":1639401967000},"page":"e0249980","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1371\/journal.pone.corrections_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":4,"title":["Diagnostic value of symptoms for pediatric SARS-CoV-2 infection in a primary care setting"],"prefix":"10.1371","volume":"16","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-0794-1263","authenticated-orcid":true,"given":"Chien-Hsiang","family":"Weng","sequence":"first","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Wesley Wing Wah","family":"Butt","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-1022-2515","authenticated-orcid":true,"given":"Meredith B.","family":"Brooks","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Claudia","family":"Clarke","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Helen E.","family":"Jenkins","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Sabina D.","family":"Holland","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-2318-3802","authenticated-orcid":true,"given":"Silvia S.","family":"Chiang","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]}],"member":"340","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2021,12,13]]},"reference":[{"key":"pone.0249980.ref001","unstructured":"Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. 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