Background The emerging virus is rampaging globally. A growing number of pediatric infected cases have been reported. Great efforts are needed to cut down the transmission. Methods A single-arm meta-analysis was conducted. We searched PubMed, Google Scholar, Web of Science, and several Chinese databases for studies presenting characteristics of children confirmed with Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) from December 12, 2019 to May 10, 2020. Quality Appraisal of Case Series Studies Checklist was used to assess quality and publication bias was analyzed by Egger’s test. Random-effect model was used to calculate the pooled incidence rate (IR) or mean difference (MD) with 95% confidence intervals (CI), or a fixed model instead when I 2 < 50%. We conducted subgroup analysis according to geographic region. Additionally, we searched United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization to see how different countries act to the education disruption in COVID-19. Results 29 studies with 4300 pediatric patients were included. The mean age was 7.04 (95% CI: 5.06–9.08) years old. 18.9% of children were asymptomatic (95% CI: 0.121–0.266), 37.4% (95% CI: 0.280–0.474) had no radiographic abnormalities. Besides, a proportion of 0.1% patients were admitted to intensive care units (0, 95% CI: 0.000–0.013) and four deaths were reported (0, 95% CI: 0.000–0.000). Up to 159 countries have implemented nationwide school closures, affecting over 70% of the world’s students. Conclusion Children were also susceptible to SARS-CoV-2, while critical cases or deaths were rare. Characterized by mild presentation, the dilemma that children may become a potential spreader in the pandemic, while strict managements like prolonged school closures, may undermine their well-beings. Thus, the public policies are facing challenge.
【저자키워드】 Meta-analysis, SARS-CoV-2, children, school closure, COVI-19, 【초록키워드】 COVID-19, pandemic, pediatric, intensive care unit, Transmission, virus, database, organization, Characteristics, Asymptomatic, management, Patient, death, incidence rate, Mild, age, Quality, Google Scholar, Pediatric patient, Web of Science, Critical case, 95% confidence interval, appraisal, Chinese, effort, mean difference, subgroup analysis, checklist, susceptible, country, single-arm, cut down, Result, analyzed, was used, proportion, reported, conducted, searched, had no, presenting, fixed, affecting, infected case, calculate, Cultural, Egger’s test, radiographic abnormalities, Sery, United Nation, 【제목키워드】 systematic review, with COVID-19,