What you need to know about children's COVID-19: a systematic review

Zhongguo Dang Dai Er Ke Za Zhi. 2021 Nov 15;23(11):1080-1090. doi: 10.7499/j.issn.1008-8830.2106122.
[Article in English, Chinese]

Abstract

The aim of the systematic review is to describe clinical features of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in children with a focus on the possible reasons why children are less susceptible to COVID-19 and whether their immune response works better than adults. The three research questions below were determined. (1) Why do pediatric COVID-19 cases have milder clinical symptoms than adults? (2) What are clinical manifestations, diagnosis, and treatment of COVID-19 in children? (3) How long lasts viral shedding after recovery? We searched MEDLINE, Embase, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, and Cochrane Database of Abstracts of Reviews of Effects, as well as foreign literature with English translations. Extra information and data have been collected from Google Scholar and the American Society for Microbiology. Information on patients' age, comorbidities, methods of treatment, and effects on mortality and morbidity were extracted. It is concluded that children are less susceptible to COVID-19 than adults and that the symptoms in children are less severe than in adults. A low incidence of COVID-19 in children and milder disease than in adults might be attributed to many theories and reasons; however, the mechanisms involved are not fully understood.

该综述的目的是描述儿童新型冠状病毒肺炎(coronavirus disease 2019,COVID-19)的临床特征,重点探讨儿童不易感染COVID-19的可能原因,以及儿童免疫反应是否比成人更好。为此,确定了以下3个研究问题:(1)为什么儿童COVID-19病例临床症状较成人轻?(2)儿童COVID-19患者的临床表现、诊断和治疗如何?(3)痊愈后病毒排毒期持续多久?我们检索了MEDLINE、Embase、Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials和Cochrane Database of Abstracts of Reviews of Effects等数据库,以及有英文翻译的国外文献。并从谷歌学术和美国微生物学会收集了其他的信息和数据。从收集的文献中,提取患者的年龄、合并症、治疗方法及对病死率、发病率影响的相关信息。该综述表明,与成人相比,儿童不易患COVID-19,若患上COVID-19,其症状较成人轻。儿童COVID-19发病率较低,病情较成人轻,这可能归因于许多理论和原因,然而所涉及的机制尚不完全清楚。 引用格式.

该综述的目的是描述儿童新型冠状病毒肺炎(coronavirus disease 2019,COVID-19)的临床特征,重点探讨儿童不易感染COVID-19的可能原因,以及儿童免疫反应是否比成人更好。为此,确定了以下3个研究问题:(1)为什么儿童COVID-19病例临床症状较成人轻?(2)儿童COVID-19患者的临床表现、诊断和治疗如何?(3)痊愈后病毒排毒期持续多久?我们检索了MEDLINE、Embase、Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials和Cochrane Database of Abstracts of Reviews of Effects等数据库,以及有英文翻译的国外文献。并从谷歌学术和美国微生物学会收集了其他的信息和数据。从收集的文献中,提取患者的年龄、合并症、治疗方法及对病死率、发病率影响的相关信息。该综述表明,与成人相比,儿童不易患COVID-19,若患上COVID-19,其症状较成人轻。儿童COVID-19发病率较低,病情较成人轻,这可能归因于许多理论和原因,然而所涉及的机制尚不完全清楚。 引用格式:

Keywords: Asymptomatic; Child; Coronavirus disease 2019; Kawasaki disease.

Publication types

  • Systematic Review

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • COVID-19*
  • Child
  • Humans
  • SARS-CoV-2