COVID-19 in pediatric population

Abstract

Introduction. The global spread of SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus infection worldwide determines the need to study the clinical features, complications, extrapulmonary manifestations and long-term consequences of the infection in children. While many studies have been described in adult patients, there are limited data analyzing the clinical course of the disease in pediatric patients infected with SARS-CoV-2. Aim. Review of the literature containing currently reported cases of SARS-CoV-2 infection in children to present the state of the art, understand the direction of research and unresolved issues. Materials and methods. An analysis of publications containing data from studies of SARS-CoV-2 cases in children was carried out. Results. Researchers from different countries agree that children are less susceptible to COVID19. This can create a dangerous situation, which can lead to a weakening of attention to children. Although their clinical manifestations are mainly mild to moderate symptoms, nevertheless, severe cases of the disease occur in children, which can lead to death. Conclusion. The complexity and variability of COVID-19 manifestations support the hypothesis that further research is needed on the long-term and chronic symptoms of COVID-19 in children. Failure to understand the underlying biological mechanisms behind these persistent symptoms increases missed opportunities to identify patients at risk of chronicity in order to prevent such conditions and seek rehabilitation approaches for children with COVID-19.