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The Omicron variant of SARS-CoV-2 has a predilection for the upper airways, causing symptoms such as sore throat, hoarse voice, and stridor. We describe a series of children with COVID-19–associated croup in an urban multicenter hospital system. We conducted a cross-sectional study of children ≤18 years of age presenting to the emergency department during the COVID-19 pandemic. Data were extracted from an institutional data repository comprised of all patients who were tested for SARS-CoV-2. We included patients with a croup diagnosis by International Classification of Diseases, 10th revision code and a positive SARS-CoV-2 test within 3 days of presentation. We compared demographics, clinical characteristics, and outcomes for patients presenting during a pre-Omicron period (March 1, 2020–December 1, 2021) to the Omicron wave (December 2, 2021–February 15, 2022). We identified 67 children with croup, 10 (15%) pre-Omicron and 57 (85%) during the Omicron wave. The prevalence of croup among SARS-CoV-2–positive children increased by a factor of 5.8 (95% confidence interval 3.0–11.4) during the Omicron wave compared to prior. More patients were ≥6 years of age in the Omicron wave than prior (19% vs. 0%). The majority were not hospitalized (77%). More patients ≥6 years of age received epinephrine therapy for croup during the Omicron wave (73% vs. 35%). Most patients ≥6 years of age had no croup history (64%) and only 45% were vaccinated against SARS-CoV-2. Croup was prevalent during the Omicron wave, atypically affecting patients ≥6 years of age. COVID-19–associated croup should be added to the differential diagnosis of children with stridor, regardless of age. © 2022 Elsevier Inc. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Research by D. L. Schacter and L. A. Cooper (e.g., Schacter et al., 1990, 1991) has shown that certain variables can dissociate explicit and implicit memory on recognition and object decision tests. If the same type of implicit memory representation is used in the affective preference test as in the object decision test, similar dissociations should occur for recognition and affect judgments. In 3 experiments the authors found a number of dissociations. However, unlike previous research that found object decision priming only for possible figures, a mere exposure effect was observed for possible and impossible figures. The authors conclude that the mere exposure effect is based on implicit memory, but it can be based on a different type of implicit memory representation than that used for object decision priming. D. L. Schacter and L. A. Cooper's conception of a structural description system was used to describe the findings and to provide a new interpretation of the mere exposure effect.