Human Coronaviruses SARS-CoV, MERS-CoV, and SARS-CoV-2 in Children.
Elahe Aleebrahim-Dehkordi, Faezeh Soveyzi, Niloofar Deravi and 3 others
PMID 33186866WHAT IT FOUND
Most children with these coronaviruses had mild or no symptoms, but severe disease and a multi-system inflammatory syndrome were reported.
Treatment described was supportive, with no proven pediatric antiviral.
Key findings
01Compared with adults, children with COVID-19 were more often asymptomatic or mildly ill, but severe disease and MIS-C were reported.
02No specific antiviral drug was identified for COVID-19, SARS, or MERS; treatment focused on oxygen and correcting electrolyte and acid-base imbalance.
03Children younger than two years were advised not to wear masks, while children aged 3 to 12 years could use suitable surgical masks.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
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What it does not show
It is a narrative review, not a trial or systematic review, so it does not test a treatment or show how evidence was selected. It summarizes other reports and guidance rather than new patient data, so its statements are not original study results. It mixes findings from children, adults, and small case series, and it says there are no adequate clinical trials in pediatric cases. It gives pediatric treatment protocols as similar to adult protocols because pediatric trials are lacking, so treatment claims are not proven for children.
Declared interests
There was no funding for the present study, and the authors declared no competing interests.
The easy way to misread this
Do not conclude that children need no monitoring because most coronavirus cases were mild. The review reports severe disease, MIS-C, and children with underlying conditions as more vulnerable, and it says there is no specific antiviral treatment.