SARS-CoV-2 infection in children

Çokuğraş, Haluk; Önal, Pınar

SARS-CoV-2, a RNA virus that emerged in December 2019 in the city of Wuhan in China and took hold of the whole world, affects children as well as all age groups. In our country, we started to observe the first cases by March 2020. SARS-CoV-2, which is transmitted by droplets and by way of contact with surfaces contaminated by these droplets, is generally transmitted to children from adults through close contact. There is no proven information about other transmission routes such as fecal-oral transmission. Similar to adults, the primary symptoms at presentation include fever, cough, sore throat, malaise, nasal discharge, and rarely, vomiting and diarrhea in children. Although the majority of pediatric patients are asymptomatic or have a mild clinical course, severe cases have been reported in children with underlying chronic diseases. There is currently no specific antiviral treatment against the SARS-CoV-2 virus. Supportive treatment is recommended in children with a mild course, and some treatments are recommended in children with comorbidities or in children who are observed to have a more severe course. Asymptomatic pediatric patients or pediatric patients who have a mild course constitute an important group in terms of transmission of the infection to the advanced age group who carry high risk. Prevention of infection is very important in terms of reducing new cases and alleviating the load on the healthcare system. In order to prevent transmission of SARS-CoV-2, hygienic rules should be pursued in the community, social distancing should be observed, and the family members and contacts of patients who have been diagnosed should be screened and isolated.