34.2 ACUTE AND NEUROPSYCHIATRIC MANIFESTATIONS OF COVID-19 IN CHILDREN

Abstract

The emergence of COVID-19 has added a new layer to the presentation and differential diagnosis of those seeking medical care. Children have accounted for up to 5% of diagnosed cases, and although diagnostic markers are similar, their typical symptom profile appears distinct, milder, and less likely to be lethal than that of adults. Although the neuropsychiatric manifestations in children have been less prevalent than in adults, a growing number of reports highlight the need for clinicians to be aware of these potential effects, whether part of the primary viral process or multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MISC). This presentation will review the acute manifestations of COVID-19 in children based on the literature to date, with an emphasis on neuropsychiatric manifestations. An overview of the psychological impact of quarantining imposed on children by the pandemic will also be discussed. This presentation aims to equip pediatric mental health providers with heightened knowledge regarding the manifestations of COVID-19 and related isolation in children, with implications for clinical evaluation and screening. A Triple Board physician (pediatrics, adult, and child/adolescent psychiatry) will utilize didactic presentation and clinical vignettes to describe the literature on the acute manifestations of COVID-19 and quarantine measures in children, with a particular emphasis on neuropsychiatric symptoms. Attendees will gain a greater understanding and comfort in identifying the acute and neuropsychiatric manifestations of COVID-19 in children, with application toward evaluation and screening for these symptoms in one’s clinical practice. COVID-19 has infiltrated the clinical community, contributing to a growing body of knowledge about its impact on children. It is crucial for clinicians who care for this population to be knowledgeable and prepared to assess and address the acute—and especially neuropsychiatric—manifestations of this disease on children, whether from the viral process itself, one’s immune response, or the social isolation of exposure.