Introduction
Since 2019, the global community has been grappling with the widespread
impact of Covid-19, which has brought immense challenges to healthcare
system worldwide. SARS-CoV-2, the virus responsible for causing Covid-19
was detected in respiratory samples obtained from patients diagnosed
with pneumonia who later experienced respiratory failure (Du et al.,
2020). The cases under examination were categorized as either
symptomatic or asymptomatic, with only those in the symptomatic group
exhibiting symptoms like fever, cold, flu, malaise, and requiring
subsequent hospitalization. Asymptomatic cases were defined as
individuals without any apparent clinical signs or symptoms. It’s worth
noting that the absence of symptoms did not serve as a parameter for
evaluating the severity of the cases.
As the disease has been officially classified as a pandemic, a multitude
of cases documenting the clinical manifestations have emerged, including
a significant number of children with confirmed COVID-19 requiring
hospitalization. Among the individuals who succumbed to COVID-19, a
noteworthy proportion were identified to have preexisting conditions
like hypertension, diabetes, and, in certain instances, cardiovascular
diseases, which could have potentially weakened their immune responses.
In contrast, these comorbidities were relatively rare among the
pediatric population, suggesting a more robust immune reaction to the
virus (Weisberg SP et al., 2021).
Studies have indicated that children and young adults are less prone to
experiencing severe COVID-19 outcomes. Both medical reports and a
growing body of cases indicate that the infection rate is comparable
between adults and children. However, children tend to experience milder
forms of the disease, with a low case fatality rate (CFR) of less than
0.1%. Additionally, a case series involving a total of four infants
born to mothers with COVID-19 found that none of the three infants
tested positive for the virus or exhibited clinical symptoms, suggesting
a minimal likelihood of vertical transmission of the virus (Chen Y et
al., 2020).
The present epidemiological and clinical data related to pediatric
patients affected by COVID-19 do not fully satisfy our need for a deeper
comprehension of viral infections. Due to the limited availability of
extensive studies on risk factors for COVID-19 in children, our
objective is to compile and assess existing data to pinpoint these risk
factors. This information will prove valuable for healthcare
professionals as they address the consequences of viral infections.