School of Medicine, Deakin University, Geelong, VIC, Australia.
Department of Medicine, Alfred Health, Melbourne, VIC, Australia.
Pediatr Res. 2023 Apr;93(5):1177-1187. doi: 10.1038/s41390-022-02254-x. Epub 2022 Aug 15.
The COVID-19 pandemic caused by novel severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) is responsible for more than 500 million cases worldwide as of April 2022. Initial estimates in 2020 found that children were less likely to become infected with SARS-CoV-2 and more likely to be asymptomatic or display mild COVID-19 symptoms. Our early understanding of COVID-19 transmission and disease in children led to a range of public health measures including school closures that have indirectly impacted child health and wellbeing. The emergence of variants of concern (particularly Delta and Omicron) has raised new issues about transmissibility in children, as preliminary data suggest that children may be at increased risk of infection, especially if unvaccinated. Global national prevalence data show that SARS-CoV-2 infection in children and adolescents is rising due to COVID-19 vaccination among adults and increased circulation of Delta and Omicron variants. To mitigate this, childhood immunisation programmes are being implemented globally to prevent direct and indirect consequences of COVID-19 including severe complications (e.g., MIS-C), debilitating long-COVID symptoms, and the indirect impacts of prolonged community and school closures on childhood education, social and behavioural development and mental health. This review explores the current state of knowledge on COVID-19 in children including COVID-19 vaccination strategies. IMPACT: Provides an up-to-date account of SARS-CoV-2 infections in children. Discusses the direct and indirect effects of COVID-19 in children. Provides the latest information on the current state of global COVID-19 vaccination in children.
截至 2022 年 4 月，由新型严重急性呼吸系统综合症冠状病毒 2（SARS-CoV-2）引起的 COVID-19 大流行在全球范围内已导致超过 5 亿例病例。2020 年的初步估计发现，儿童感染 SARS-CoV-2 的可能性较小，更有可能无症状或出现轻度 COVID-19 症状。我们对儿童 COVID-19 传播和疾病的早期认识导致了一系列公共卫生措施的实施，包括学校关闭，这间接影响了儿童的健康和幸福感。关注的变异体（特别是 Delta 和 Omicron）的出现引发了关于儿童传播性的新问题，因为初步数据表明儿童感染的风险可能增加，特别是如果未接种疫苗的话。全球国家流行数据显示，由于成年人接种 COVID-19 疫苗以及 Delta 和 Omicron 变异体的传播增加，儿童和青少年的 SARS-CoV-2 感染率正在上升。为了减轻这种情况，全球正在实施儿童免疫计划，以预防 COVID-19 包括严重并发症（例如，MIS-C）、长期 COVID 症状和长期社区和学校关闭对儿童教育、社会和行为发展以及心理健康的间接影响。这篇综述探讨了 COVID-19 在儿童中的现状，包括 COVID-19 疫苗接种策略。影响：提供了 SARS-CoV-2 感染儿童的最新信息。讨论了 COVID-19 在儿童中的直接和间接影响。提供了全球儿童 COVID-19 疫苗接种现状的最新信息。
