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[SARS-CoV-2 in children: epidemiology, clinical presentation and contagiosity]

Pierre Alex Crisinel1, Arnaud G L'huillier2

  • 1Unité d'infectiologie pédiatrique et vaccinologie, Département femme-mère-enfant, CHUV, 1011 Lausanne.

Revue Medicale Suisse
|February 18, 2021
PubMed

Insights

Children experience less severe COVID-19, but their susceptibility and role in spreading SARS-CoV-2 remain unclear. Adolescents may contribute more to virus transmission than younger children.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatrics
  • Infectious Diseases
  • Epidemiology

Background:

  • Children exhibit lower frequency and severity of COVID-19 compared to adults.
  • While fewer children test positive for SARS-CoV-2, seroprevalence studies present conflicting data on susceptibility.
  • No biological basis for reduced infectivity in children has been identified.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To evaluate the role of children in the transmission of SARS-CoV-2.
  • To analyze the susceptibility of children to SARS-CoV-2 infection.
  • To compare the transmission potential between younger children and adolescents.

Main Methods:

  • Review of epidemiological data on COVID-19 cases in pediatric populations.
  • Analysis of seroprevalence studies investigating SARS-CoV-2 infection rates in children.
  • Behavioral analysis of children and adolescents in community settings.

Main Results:

  • Children are generally under-represented in COVID-19 cases and severity.
  • Contradictory findings exist regarding children's susceptibility to SARS-CoV-2.
  • Children are infrequently identified as vectors of SARS-CoV-2 in the community.
  • Adolescents, due to behaviors similar to young adults, appear to contribute more to virus spread than younger children.

Conclusions:

  • Children's lower COVID-19 burden may be due to factors beyond reduced susceptibility.
  • Further research is needed to clarify children's exact role in SARS-CoV-2 transmission dynamics.
  • Adolescents represent a key demographic for understanding and mitigating community spread of the virus.

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