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The younger the milder clinical course of COVID‐19: Even in newborns?
Author(s) -
Leung Char
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
pediatric allergy and immunology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.269
H-Index - 89
eISSN - 1399-3038
pISSN - 0905-6157
DOI - 10.1111/pai.13371
Subject(s) - medicine , pediatrics , case fatality rate , sore throat , covid-19 , respiratory tract , respiratory tract infections , upper respiratory tract infection , respiratory system , epidemiology , immunology , disease , infectious disease (medical specialty)
Background Milder symptoms were observed in children with COVID‐19. However, whether this also holds true for neonates is not known. Methods The clinical data of a total of 3213 patients aged 2 years or below, including 749 neonates, in Brazil nationwide were studied. Comparisons were made between neonate and infant patients by conducting statistical tests. Results Neonates appeared to bear more severe clinical courses. In addition to higher case fatality rates, newborns with COVID‐19 had much shorter time from symptom onset to death and longer time from symptom onset to discharge. Dyspnoea, sore throat and cough were more prominent in neonate patients, suggestive of both upper and lower respiratory tract infection, as opposed to upper respiratory tract symptoms mostly observed in children. Conclusion Findings suggested that trained immunity provides a possible explanation because the innate immune system in newborns is not “well‐trained” while that in adult tends to hyperactive.