INTRODUCTION
Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a viral disease caused by severe
acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). Coronaviruses are
a large family of viruses that mostly present in mammals and birds (1).
Early cases of COVID- humans have a history of going to the Huanan
Seafood Wholesale Market in . Therefore, it was initially assumed that
animal-to-human transmission was the main mechanism. In a short period
of time, cases with no history of visiting the market were reported.
Therefore, it was understood that the virus can also be transmitted from
human-to-human (2).
The transmission route of COVID-19 disease develops as a result of
inhalation of the infected droplet or contact with the surfaces and
fomites soiled by infected respiratory secretion during coughing or
sneezing of the infected person (3). Comprehensive population-based
epidemiological studies have confirmed that SARS-CoV-2 infection is less
common in children than in adults and if children do acquire SARS-CoV-2,
the vast majority experience mild disease not requiring hospitalization.
Children with COVID-19 are reported to get the infection from an adult
contact, with minimal secondary transmission from children. Children do
not appear to be efficient transmitters of infection (4).
The disease initially presents as a mild respiratory disease and
develops into viral interstitial pneumonia, which may progress to acute
respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) and multi-organ failure (MOF) in
10-15% of adults. The course of the disease is generally mild in
children compared to adults, the reason for this has not been clear yet
(5). Common symptoms in adults infected with COVID-19 include fever, dry
cough and fatigue. The symptoms in children are more atypical than in
adults, and coughing is lighter. Instead of common symptoms in adults,
gastrointestinal symptoms such as diarrhea and vomiting are common in
children (1). In this study, we aimed to assess the common symptoms and
possible source of infection in pediatric cases with SARS-CoV-2
infection.