Defining the pediatric response to SARS-CoV-2 variants

Reanne M Ho; Asha C Bowen; Christopher C Blyth; Allison Imrie; Tobias R Kollmann; Stephen M Stick; Anthony Kicic

doi:10.3389/fimmu.2023.1200456

Defining the pediatric response to SARS-CoV-2 variants

Front Immunol. 2023 May 25:14:1200456. doi: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1200456. eCollection 2023.

Authors

Reanne M Ho^{1

2

3}, Asha C Bowen^{2

3

4

5}, Christopher C Blyth^{2

3

4}, Allison Imrie^{2

6}, Tobias R Kollmann^{4

7

8}, Stephen M Stick^{1

9

10}, Anthony Kicic^{1

9

10

11}

Affiliations

¹ Wal-yan Respiratory Research Centre, Telethon Kids Institute, University of Western Australia, Nedlands, WA, Australia.
² Medical School, University of Western Australia, Nedlands, WA, Australia.
³ Wesfarmers Centre of Vaccines and Infectious Diseases, Telethon Kids Institute, Nedlands, WA, Australia.
⁴ Department of Infectious Diseases, Perth Children's Hospital, Nedlands, WA, Australia.
⁵ Menzies School of Health Research, Charles Darwin University, Darwin, NT, Australia.
⁶ School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Western Australia, Nedlands, WA, Australia.
⁷ Telethon Kids Institute, University of Western Australia, Nedlands, WA, Australia.
⁸ Department of Pediatrics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada.
⁹ Department of Respiratory and Sleep Medicine, Perth Children's Hospital, Perth, WA, Australia.
¹⁰ Centre for Cell Therapy and Regenerative Medicine, School of Medicine and Pharmacology, University of Western Australia and Harry Perkins Institute of Medical Research, Nedlands, WA, Australia.
¹¹ School of Population Health, Curtin University, Perth, WA, Australia.

Abstract

The global population has been severely affected by the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, however, with older age identified as a risk factor, children have been underprioritized. This article discusses the factors contributing to the less severe response observed in children following infection with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), including, differing viral entry receptor expression and immune responses. It also discusses how emerging and future variants could present a higher risk to children, including those with underlying comorbidities, in developing severe disease. Furthermore, this perspective discusses the differential inflammatory markers between critical and non-critical cases, as well as discussing the types of variants that may be more pathogenic to children. Importantly, this article highlights where more research is urgently required, in order to protect the most vulnerable of our children.

Keywords: COVID-19; SARS-CoV-2; age-specific response; cellular biology; children; emerging variants; molecular biology; pediatric.

Publication types

Review
Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

COVID-19*
Child
Humans
Pandemics
Receptors, Virus
SARS-CoV-2*

Substances

Receptors, Virus

Supplementary concepts

SARS-CoV-2 variants

Grants and funding

This work is supported by a NHMRC MRFF grant (2016238). RH is supported the University of Western Australia International Fee Scholarship, University Postgraduate Award, Stan and Jean Perron Top-Up Scholarship, and Wesfarmers Centre of Vaccines and Infectious Diseases and Wal-Yan Respiratory Centre Top Up Scholarship. AK is a Rothwell Family Fellow. SS, CB and AB are all supported by NHMRC investigator awards (2021/GR000216, GNT1173163, and GNT1175509).