COVID-19 in children

Abstract

Coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) has affected nearly 2 million people and caused up to 100,000 people death worldwide until today. This severe disease has seen less in children than adults. This may be due to the fact that cytokine storm in children is milder, viral load exposure is less than in adults, and angiotensin converting enzyme receptor levels are different from adults. It should be kept in mind that COVID-19 may cause severe illness in infants under 1 year old and in children with chronic diseases such as chronic kidney disease undergoing dialysis, sickle cell disease, chronic liver disease, endocrine disorders, chronic lung disease, cardiovascular disease, immune deficiency, and severe obesity. Fever and cough are the most common symptoms in COVID-19, and children can also be asymptomatic. Laboratory findings are variable in children. Ground-glass opacity, consolidation, patchy shadowing, halo sign, and interstitial anomalies can be detected in lung computed tomography, or it can be normal. In this review, the frequency of COVID-19 in children, differences between adults, the course of pregnancy and newborn, clinical and laboratory findings, and treatment options are reviewed.