COVID-19 infection prevalence in pediatric population: Etiology, clinical presentation, and outcome

Abstract

Novel COVID-19 infections caused major morbidity and mortality globally in the adult age group. Likewise, SARS-COV-2 infections in children are highly risky in the selected patient population. We performed a focused literature search of published reports from December 1, 2019, till August 20, 2020. The aim was to explore the etiology, clinical presentations, and outcome of pediatric COVID-19 patients. Viral respiratory infections are associated with high societal costs for children. In addition, children with asymptomatic SARS-COV-2 infections can be a source of COVID-19 spread to parents and caregivers. The major reported risk factors for pediatric COVID-19 cases were close contact with a SARS-COV-2 positive family member, a history of travel, and/or living in endemic areas. Children with COVID-19 who required ICU care had various comorbidities, such as malignancy. As the pandemic evolved, multiple cases of multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children and adolescents temporarily related to covid-19 (MIS-C) were reported. A unique population is neonates born to COVID-19 affected mothers, as there is an urgent need to optimize their management and outcome during this rapidly evolving pandemic. The early identification of SARS-COV-2 infection in infants and children has important direct management effects in these children and public health implications because of the effects on disease transmission control measures.

Predictors and Direct Cost Estimation of Long Stays in Pediatric Intensive Care Units in Saudi Arabia: A Mixed Methods Study

“… 30 Furthermore, as children with COVID-19 who required ICU care had associated comorbidities that could also complicate the issue of LSPs in the PICU setting. 31 …”

Augmented TCR-mediated signaling in infant T cells enables robust responses to respiratory virus infection

“…The ability of infants to generate adaptive immune responses to minute levels of antigen, could facilitate protection from viruses which replicate exponentially in the host. Enhanced TCR signaling could also explain the advantage of infants and young children in generating e cacious primary responses to novel pathogens, like SARS-CoV-2 which rarely infects infants and exhibits reduced infection and dissemination in children compared to adults 3,4,5 . Higher sensitivity T cell responses can promote clearance of low viral doses, preventing viral replication and dissemination to pathogenic levels as seen in adults.…”

“…Infants also experience recurrent respiratory tract infections due to lack of long-term protective immunity that is well-established in adults 1,2 . However, infants and young children can be less susceptible to novel pathogens compared to adults, as manifested in the COVID-19 pandemic; in response to SARS-CoV-2 infection, children exhibit less severe disease, and often are asymptomatic while adults exhibit acute respiratory illness with high mortality in the most severe cases 3,4,5 . Moreover, infants and young children exhibit distinct responses to vaccines compared to adults, although vaccine formulations are the same for all ages 6,7 .…”

Особливості Перебігу Коронавірусної Інфекції COVID-19 У Дітей України

“…В іншому дослідженні, представленому китайськими колегами вже у нинішньому році [5], показано, що серед лабораторних даних лейкопенія (у 21,0 % випадків) та лімфоцитоз (у 22,0 % дітей) були головними показниками для педіатричних хворих, а також визначалися непоодинокі випадки реєстрації зростання концентрації у сироватці крові С-реактивного білка (у 17,0 % випадків), D-димеру (у 12,0 % пацієнтів). Взагалі на перших етапах пандемії вважалося, що для дитячої популяції ураження новим коронавірусом SARS-CoV-2 є менш характерним, ніж для дорослих [6], зокрема для інфікованих дітей у більшості випадків характерним є легкий перебіг, а 15-35 % випадків є безсимптомними [7,8]. При цьому раннє виявлення інфекції COVID-19 у дітей має важливе значення щодо менеджменту захворювання та епідеміологічних наслідків для громадського здоров'я завдяки профілактичним заходам боротьби з поширеністю збудника у популяціях [6].…”