Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19): A Pediatric Perspective

Shrestha, Rupesh; Shrestha, Laxman

Coronavirus disease 2019, the new public health emergency that originated in China, is spreading rapidly across the globe with limited tools to confine this growing pandemic. The virus, severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2, is transmitted by droplet infection from person to person. Our current understanding of the disease spectrum is limited. The proportion of infected children is significantly less compared to adults with the majority of them showing mild symptoms. More than half of symptomatic children present with fever and cough. However, the extent of asymptomatic infection in children and the role they play in community transmission is still undetermined. Although there are case reports of neonates infected with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2, vertical transmission from infected mother to new-born is yet to be proven. The disease is confirmed by demonstration of the virus by real-time reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction in respiratory secretions. Due to the lack of specific antiviral agents, we rely on infection-control measures to prevent disease spread and on supportive care for infected ones. This article has summarized the clinical characteristics of children with coronavirus disease 2019 based on published case reports.