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.