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Pediatric coronavirus disease 2019 in Africa

Marieke M van der Zalm1, Daniele Dona'2, Helena Rabie3

  • 1Desmond Tutu TB Centre, Department of Paediatrics and Child Health, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Stellenbosch University, Stellenbosch, South Africa.

Current Opinion in Pediatrics
|February 22, 2023
PubMed

Insights

Limited data exists on pediatric COVID-19 in Africa. Children, especially those with comorbidities, face severe disease, multisystem inflammatory syndrome, and increased mortality, necessitating urgent long-term outcome studies.

Area of Science:

  • Global Health
  • Infectious Diseases
  • Pediatrics

Background:

  • Limited data on coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in African children hinders effective public health interventions.
  • African settings report more severe COVID-19, with infants and children having comorbidities at higher risk.
  • Data on tuberculosis, HIV, and long-COVID in African pediatric populations remains sparse.

Approach:

  • Review of current literature on pediatric COVID-19 in African settings.
  • Analysis of disease severity, comorbidities, and outcomes including MIS-C.
  • Identification of data gaps in understanding long-term COVID-19 effects in African children.

Key Points:

  • African children exhibit higher morbidity and mortality from COVID-19 and MIS-C compared to other regions.
  • Younger children (<5 years) are disproportionately affected by MIS-C.
  • Decreasing MIS-C prevalence with SARS-CoV-2 variant waves requires ongoing monitoring.
  • Urgent need for long-COVID data in African pediatric populations.

Conclusions:

  • There is an urgent need for comprehensive data on pediatric COVID-19 and its sequelae in Africa.
  • Long-term outcomes and lung health assessments in African children affected by COVID-19 and MIS-C require immediate investigation.
  • Understanding these outcomes is critical for tailoring public health strategies and interventions in resource-limited settings.
Abstract

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