Frequency of coronavirus NL63 infection in children with upper respiratory infection by real-time PCR

Background: Human coronavirus NL63 (HCoV-NL63) is a new respiratory virus associated with acute respiratory infection in children. Infection with this virus is usually accompanied by upper and lower infections of the respiratory tract in adults. Objectives: In a retrospective study, we investigated the incidence of coronavirus infection in children under the age of five years. Methods: We collected 138 specimens (nasal and throat swabs) from children less than five-years-old with acute respiratory infection from October 2018 to December 2019. Then, HCoV-NL63 was investigated using real-time PCR. Results: Out of 138 samples, 33 (23.9) were positive for coronavirus NL63, including 21 (63.6) male samples and 12 (36.4) female samples. There was no significant correlation between gender and positivity for coronavirus infection (P > 0.05). However, the association of clinical symptoms with the virus was statistically significant (P < 0.05). Conclusions: This study was conducted for the first time in Kerman Province. In this study, the frequency of coronavirus NL63 was evaluated among children with acute respiratory infection with a highly sensitive method, real-time PCR. The prevalence of this virus was 33, which was more frequent than in similar studies. © 2020, Author(s)