Coronavirus Disease 2019 in Neonates - What Is Known and What Needs to Be Known.

Manas Nayak,Santosh Panda,Janaki Ballav Pradhan,Nirmal K Mohakud

doi:10.7759/cureus.10171

Abstract

The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) first broke out in Wuhan, China, and subsequently spread worldwide affecting all ages including newborns. The cases of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) are very less in neonates and they recover well with supportive treatment. Though the vertical transmission of infection is scarcely found, to get rid of acquiring infection by horizontal transmission one should screen all pregnant women and ensure standard infection control measures and monitoring of newborns at risk of COVID-19. Neonates may present as a refusal to feed, feeding intolerance, fever, pneumonia, shortness of breath, and lethargic. Based on available evidence, antivirals like lopinavir, ritonavir, remdesivir specific medication like chloroquine/hydroxychloroquine, azithromycin, corticosteroids, and intravenous gamma globulin, are not recommended, so early detection and supportive treatment is needed for an optimal outcome.

Highlights

BackgroundThe novel coronavirus disease 2019, caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV2), was named coronavirus disease (COVID-19) by the World Health Organization on January 7, 2020 [1]
One study of neonates delivered from COVID-19 positive mothers had found respiratory distress, gastrointestinal symptoms, fever, tachycardia, and vomiting, but babies were SARS-CoV-2 negative [14]
In a case series of four full-term neonates delivered to COVID-19 positive mothers, one infant had respiratory distress managed by nasal continuous positive airway pressure and two infants had rashes at birth and one had facial ulcerations [15]

Summary

Introduction

The novel coronavirus disease 2019, caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV2), was named coronavirus disease (COVID-19) by the World Health Organization on January 7, 2020 [1]. One study of neonates delivered from COVID-19 positive mothers had found respiratory distress, gastrointestinal symptoms, fever, tachycardia, and vomiting, but babies were SARS-CoV-2 negative [14]. In a case series of four full-term neonates delivered to COVID-19 positive mothers, one infant had respiratory distress managed by nasal continuous positive airway pressure (nCPAP) and two infants had rashes at birth and one had facial ulcerations [15]. In both series, nasopharynx swab RT-PCR was negative among all neonates. Antivirals like lopinavir, ritonavir, remdesivir, or specific medication like chloroquine/hydroxychloroquine, azithromycin, systemic corticosteroids, Granulocyte-macrophage colonystimulating factor (GM-CSF) and intravenous gamma globulin are not recommended in symptomatic or asymptomatic COVID-19 neonates [31,32,33]

Conclusions

Disclosures