COVID-19 in children: what did we learn from the first wave?
File(s)
Accepted version
Author(s)
Type
Journal Article
Abstract
A pandemic caused by the novel coronavirus, severe acute respiratory syndrome - coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), has caused high rates of mortality, predominantly in adults. Children are significantly less affected by SARS-CoV-2 with far lower rates of recorded infections in children compared to adults, milder symptoms in the majority of children and very low mortality rates. A suspected late manifestation of the disease, paediatric inflammatory multisystem syndrome - temporally associated with SARS-CoV-2 (PIMS-TS), has been seen in small numbers of children and has a more severe disease course than acute SARS-CoV-2. The pandemic has meant that children around the world have been kept off school, isolated from their extended family and friends and asked to stay inside. The UK has just been declared as being in an economic recession and unemployment rates are increasing. These indirect effects of SARS-CoV-2 are likely to have a significant impact on many children for years to come. Consolidating the knowledge that has accumulated during the first wave of this pandemic is essential for recognising the clinical signs, symptoms and effective treatment strategies for children; identifying children who may be at increased risk of severe SARS-CoV-2 infection; planning the safe delivery of healthcare and non-health related services that are important for childrens’ wellbeing; and engaging in, and developing, research to address the things that are not yet known. This article summarises the evidence that has emerged from the early phase of the pandemic and offers an overview for those looking after children or planning services.
Date Issued
2020-12
Date Acceptance
2020-09-18
Citation
Paediatrics and Child Health, 2020, 30 (12), pp.438-443
ISSN
1751-7222
Publisher
Elsevier
Start Page
438
End Page
443
Journal / Book Title
Paediatrics and Child Health
Volume
30
Issue
12
Copyright Statement
© 2020 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. This manuscript is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International Licence http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/
Identifier
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1751722220301591?via%3Dihub
Subjects
COVID-19
PIMS-TS
acute respiratory distress syndrome
children
viral transmission
1114 Paediatrics and Reproductive Medicine
Pediatrics
Publication Status
Published
Date Publish Online
2020-09-18