Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) in Neonates: Current Perspectives

Abstract

Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) is a new respiratory disease that is caused by Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). First described in December 2019, in Wuhan, China, the virus rapidly spread across continents leading to an enormous global public health crisis. To date, it has infected more than 35.6 million people worldwide, with a case fatality rate of 2.9 percent. Although massive research has been published on this subject, the majority involve adults, and yet, neonates have not been spared by the disease. Currently, there are more questions than answers, and available evidence is changing rapidly. Compared to adults, infected neonates are more likely to be asymptomatic or to develop non-specific multisystemic features; and to have favorable outcomes. At present, no specific therapy or vaccine has been approved for use in neonates with COVID-19, and the current treatment protocols are informed by expert consensus, and extrapolation of adult recommendations. In this review, we conjugate the current evidence regarding transmission, diagnosis, management, outcome, and prevention of COVID-19 in neonates.