COVID-19 in childhood and adolescence

Abstract

The involvement of children and adolescents has become more evident as the COVID-19 epidemic progressed into a pandemic; and today, almost six months after starting, children comprise 1 % to 6 % of cases. Most cases in pediatrics are mild, and males are infected more than females. Younger children such as infants and preschoolers are prone to develop severe cases. The range of clinical manifestations in pediatric patients is as diverse as in adults and has already led several children and adolescents to death, usually associated with comorbidities, co-infections, or an extensive systemic inflammatory response. In terms of temporal distribution, there is a trend of rapidly increasing cases during the early stages of the epidemic in each country, followed by a gradual and steady decline. In April 2020, a new syndrome was identified in children and adolescents aged 2 to 15 associated with COVID-19. While the syndrome is very rare, it can be dangerous. The condition has been named multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children or pediatric multisystem inflammatory syndrome.