Back to Search Results

Clinical Characteristics of Asymptomatic and Symptomatic Pediatric Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19): A Systematic Review.

College of Medicine, Yonsei University, Seoul 03722, Korea.College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32610, USA.Department of Pediatrics, College of Medicine, Yonsei University, Seoul 03722, Korea.College of Medicine, Yonsei University, Seoul 03722, Korea.Department of Global Health and Population, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA 02115, USA.College of Medicine, Yonsei University, Seoul 03722, Korea.College of Medicine, Yonsei University, Seoul 03722, Korea.College of Medicine, Yonsei University, Seoul 03722, Korea.College of Medicine, Yonsei University, Seoul 03722, Korea.College of Medicine, Yonsei University, Seoul 03722, Korea.College of Medicine, Yonsei University, Seoul 03722, Korea.Department of Internal Medicine IV (Nephrology and Hypertension), Medical University Innsbruck, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria.Department of Internal Medicine, St. Johann County Hospital, 6380 St. Johann, Austria.Research and Development Unit, Parc Sanitari Sant Joan de Déu, CIBERSAM, 08830 Barcelona, Spain.ICREA, Pg. Lluis Companys 23, 08010 Barcelona, Spain.Research and Development Unit, Parc Sanitari Sant Joan de Déu, CIBERSAM, 08830 Barcelona, Spain.Faculty of Medicine, University of Versailles Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines, 78000 Versailles, France.Department of Global Health and Population, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA 02115, USA.Division of Urology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA.Department of Pediatrics, College of Medicine, Yonsei University, Seoul 03722, Korea.The Cambridge Centre for Sport and Exercise Science, Anglia Ruskin University, Cambridge CB1 1PT, UK.

Medicina (Kaunas, Lithuania). 2020;(9)
Full text from:

Other resources

Abstract

Background and objectives: Characterization of pediatric coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is necessary to control the pandemic, as asymptomatic or mildly infected children may act as carriers. To date, there are limited reports describing differences in clinical, laboratory, and radiological characteristics between asymptomatic and symptomatic infection, and between younger and older pediatric patients. The objective of this study is to compare characteristics among: (1) asymptomatic versus symptomatic and (2) less than 10 versus greater or equal to 10 years old pediatric COVID-19 patients. Materials and Methods: We searched for all terms related to pediatric COVID-19 in electronic databases (Embase, Medline, PubMed, and Web of Science) for articles from January 2020. This protocol followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis guidelines. Results: Eligible study designs included case reports and series, while we excluded comments/letters, reviews, and literature not written in English. Initially, 817 articles were identified. Forty-three articles encompassing 158 confirmed pediatric COVID-19 cases were included in the final analyses. Lymphocytosis and high CRP were associated with symptomatic infection. Abnormal chest CT more accurately detected asymptomatic COVID-19 in older patients than in younger ones, but clinical characteristics were similar between older and younger patients. Conclusions: Chest CT scan findings are untrustworthy in younger children with COVID-19 as compared with clinical findings, or significant differences in findings between asymptomatic to symptomatic children. Further studies evaluating pediatric COVID-19 could contribute to potential therapeutic interventions and preventive strategies to limit spreading.