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COVID-19 infection in children and adolescents

Meena Naja1, Lucy Wedderburn1,2,3, Coziana Ciurtin1

  • 1Centre for Adolescent Rheumatology Versus Arthritis at UCL, UCLH, GOSH and Centre for Rheumatology Research, Division of Medicine, UCL, London, UK.

British Journal of Hospital Medicine (London, England : 2005)
|August 27, 2020
PubMed

Insights

COVID-19 is less common in children, often presenting as mild or asymptomatic cases, leading to underdiagnosis. While severe illness and mortality are rare, a severe inflammatory syndrome can occur, requiring careful case-by-case treatment decisions.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatrics
  • Infectious Diseases
  • Epidemiology

Background:

  • The COVID-19 pandemic has primarily impacted adults, with limited understanding of its effects on pediatric populations.
  • Children represent a smaller proportion of diagnosed COVID-19 cases compared to adults, potentially due to a higher prevalence of asymptomatic or mild presentations.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review the current knowledge on the epidemiology, clinical features, and management of COVID-19 in children and adolescents.
  • To highlight the characteristics of pediatric COVID-19, including prevalence, transmission, and clinical outcomes.

Main Methods:

  • This study is a review of existing literature on COVID-19 in pediatric populations.
  • Synthesizing data on epidemiology, clinical manifestations, and treatment strategies for pediatric COVID-19.

Main Results:

  • COVID-19 prevalence is lower in children, with a significant percentage of cases being asymptomatic or mild (10-90%).
  • Common symptoms include cough, fever, and sore throat; intensive care admission and mortality are infrequent.
  • A rare but severe condition, pediatric multisystem inflammatory syndrome associated with COVID-19, has emerged.

Conclusions:

  • Paediatric COVID-19 is generally mild and often underdiagnosed, but requires monitoring for rare severe complications.
  • Supportive care is the mainstay of management; specific treatments for severe cases are considered on a case-by-case basis, ideally within clinical trials.
  • Further research is essential to fully understand the disease course and optimal treatments for COVID-19 in children.

Keywords:
AdolescentsCOVID-19 infectionChildrenEpidemiology of COVID-19 infection in childrenManagement of COVID-19 infection in children

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