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Published on: November 10, 2023
An increasing public health burden arising from children infected with SARS-CoV2: A systematic review and
Baojia Zheng1, Hui Wang1, Cuixiang Yu2
1Department of Microbiology and Immunology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Jinan University, Guangzhou, China.
Insights
Children infected with Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV2) often show no symptoms and can have coinfections. This highlights the significant public health burden and the need for increased vigilance in identifying infected children during epidemics.
Area of Science:
- Pediatrics
- Infectious Diseases
- Public Health
Background:
- Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV2) poses a global health threat.
- Children represent a significant, yet often under-recognized, population affected by SARS-CoV2.
- Understanding the epidemiological characteristics of SARS-CoV2 in children is crucial for public health strategies.
Purpose of the Study:
- To systematically review the current situation of SARS-CoV2 infection in children.
- To assess the public health burden associated with pediatric SARS-CoV2 infections.
- To determine the prevalence of asymptomatic infections, coinfections, and family clustering in children.
Main Methods:
- A systematic review and meta-analysis of eligible studies.
- Searched four electronic databases without language limitations.
- Calculated pooled proportions and odds ratios (OR) with 95% confidence intervals (CI).
Main Results:
- Data from 14 studies with 410 pediatric patients were analyzed.
- The pooled proportion of asymptomatic SARS-CoV2 infection was 40.45%.
- Coinfections were observed in 10.14% of cases, with Mycoplasma pneumoniae and influenza viruses being most common. Family clustering reached 83.63%.
Conclusions:
- A substantial proportion of pediatric SARS-CoV2 infections are asymptomatic, contributing to undetected spread.
- Children are susceptible to coinfections, regardless of sex, complicating diagnosis and management.
- These findings underscore the critical role of children in virus transmission and the need for enhanced detection and control measures.
Background:
Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV2) is spreading all over the world and poses a great threat to humans. This study aimed to systematically review the current situation and public health burden associated with children infected with SARS-CoV2.
Methods:
We searched four electronic databases without language limitations. The pooled proportion or odds ratio (OR) and 95% CI confidence interval (CI) were calculated for each analysis to explore the prevalence of asymptomatic infection and coinfection, as well as to assess the sex of SARS-CoV-2-infected children.
Results:
We obtained data from 14 eligible studies with 410 patients for the meta-analysis. The pooled proportion of asymptomatic infection was 40.45% (95% CI, 24.04-56.85), while coinfection was 10.14% (95% CI, 3.97-16.30), of which Mycoplasma pneumonia (50%; 95% CI, 28.24-71.76) and influenza virus or parainfluenza virus (22.76%; 95% CI, 4.76-40.77) were the most common pathogens. Both male and female children were susceptible to SARS-CoV2 infection. And the pooled proportion of family clustering infection was 83.63% (95% CI, 77.54-89.72).
Conclusion:
A high proportion of asymptomatic infections occurs in children infected with SARS-CoV2, who are also susceptible to coinfection regardless of sex. These data affirm the increasing public health burden arising from infected children regarding the causation of asymptomatic infection or misdiagnosis and as a significant contributor to virus spread. The public should pay more attention to children during epidemics and conduct multimethod detection to further effectively identify infected children and control the source of infection.
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