Highlights • COVID-19 is a pandemic caused by SARS-CoV-2. • The pandemic first originated in Wuhan the capital of Hubei province, China in December 2019 and then spread globally. • The disease trajectory in paediatric patients has a good prognosis. • Case fatality rate is low. However, it is there. • The most frequent symptoms in children are cough and fever. • Vertical and breast milk transmission are yet to be established. Background Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a pandemic first originated in Wuhan the capital of Hubei province, China in December 2019 and then spread globally. It is caused by SARS-CoV-2. Until 1 st April 2020, the number of cases worldwide was recorded to be 823,626 with 40,598 deaths. Most of the reported cases were adults with few cases described in children and neonates. Objectives We performed a systematic review and meta-analysis to analyse the disease characterisation in paediatric age group including the possibility of vertical transmission to the neonates. Methods Articles published up to 2 nd April 2020 in PubMed and google Scholar were considered for this study. Findings The most frequently reported symptoms were cough 49% (95% CI: 42 – 55%) and fever 47% (95% CI: 41- 53%). Lymphopenia and increased Procalcitonin were recorded in (21%, 95% CI: 12 – 30%) and (28%, 95% CI: 18 – 37%) respectively. No sex difference for COVID-19 was found in paediatric age group (p = 0.7). Case fatality rate was 0%. Four out of 58 neonates (6.8%) born to COVID-19 confirmed mothers tested positive for the disease. Conclusion The disease trajectory in Paediatric patients has good prognosis compared to adults. Intensive care unit and death are rare. Vertical transmission and virus shedding in breast milk are yet to be established.
【저자키워드】 COVID-19, SARS-CoV-2, paediatrics, Wuhan, vertical transmission, 【초록키워드】 Meta-analysis, Coronavirus disease 2019, pandemic, Prognosis, children, systematic review, Transmission, Symptom, cough, virus, Spread, China, Adults, Neonate, Neonates, Fever, breast milk, Patient, Case fatality rate, death, trajectory, age, Sex difference, disease, Care, mother, deaths, Fatality rate, characterisation, article, finding, positive, MOST, vertical, objective, tested, described, performed, caused, reported, the disease, were recorded, paediatric patient, reported symptom, Scholar, was recorded, 【제목키워드】 review,