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What's New With the Old Coronaviruses?
Chikara Ogimi1, Yae Jean Kim2, Emily T Martin3
1Department of Pediatrics, Seattle Children's Hospital Research Institute, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA.
Journal of the Pediatric Infectious Diseases Society
|April 22, 2020
Summary
Common human coronaviruses cause respiratory illness in children, often presenting as colds. This review covers pediatric coronavirus infections, including endemic strains and epidemic viruses like SARS and MERS.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric infectious diseases
- Virology
- Epidemiology
Background:
- Coronaviruses are significant contributors to pediatric respiratory disease burden.
- Many infections manifest as common cold symptoms.
- Recent epidemics highlight zoonotic origins and pandemic potential of novel coronaviruses.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review the virology, epidemiology, and disease spectrum of pediatric coronavirus infections.
- To discuss common community-acquired human coronaviruses (HCoVs).
- To cover severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) and Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS) coronaviruses.
Main Methods:
- Literature review of scientific articles and public health reports.
- Synthesis of data on viral characteristics, transmission patterns, and clinical presentations.
- Analysis of historical epidemic data.
Main Results:
- Four common HCoVs (229E, OC43, NL63, HKU1) are frequent causes of pediatric respiratory illness.
- Novel coronaviruses like SARS-CoV and MERS-CoV have caused significant global epidemics.
- Understanding viral evolution and transmission is crucial for public health.
Conclusions:
- Coronaviruses, both endemic and novel, pose a substantial threat to child respiratory health.
- Continued surveillance and research are essential for managing pediatric coronavirus infections.
- Knowledge of virology and epidemiology aids in predicting and mitigating future outbreaks.
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