COVID-19 Management in Pediatrics

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a deadly global pandemic, with scientific efforts improving our understanding of this novel coronavirus. No proven disease-specific therapies exist, although 2 vaccines have been recently approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration under emergency use authorization, and several others are in development or phase III clinical trial testing. COVID-19 presents in greater severity in the medically fragile, obese, elderly, and socially disadvantaged, and children in general are less affected. All children are at risk, but those with comorbidities and neonates are more susceptible. The multisystem inflammatory syndrome is a severe version which can present in any child with a recent COVID-19 infection. The face of the pandemic has been changing in the last few months, with recent increasing cases, virus mutations, and onset of vaccination. This article provides COVID-19 management for children and adolescents and implications for nursing and advanced practice providers.