Why COVID-19 is Less Severe in Pediatric Patients?

Abstract

SARS-CoV-2 is one of seven coronavirusesknown to infect humans. Other than SARS-CoV-2, the other coronaviruses causing SARS andMERS are deadly, the rest are relatively benign causing only common colds in the vast majorityof cases. SARS-CoV-2 indiscriminately infecting people with varying severity across geographies,genders, and occupations. Despite this indiscriminate attack, experiences and studiesindicate that children are mildly affected incomparison to adults, representing approximately5% of cases and less than 1% of admissions tohospital (1, 2). The proportion of severe andcritical cases was 10.6%, 7.3%, 4.2%, 4.1%, and3.0% for the age group of ˂1, 1-5, 6-10, 11-15and >15 years, respectively (1). SARS and MERS showed similar pater where kids are largely spared from severe diseases. Swine flu(H1N1) virus, responsible for the flu pandemic of 2009 and 2010 preferentially had tummysymptoms on children.