Are Coronavirus Symptoms Different in Children? Here's What to Know
Since the coronavirus COVID-19 was first identified in China in December 2019, researchers have been collecting and analyzing as much data as possible to try to work out how the virus behaves and what its impact is on different age groups.
A new study, published March 16 in Pediatrics, looked at data from January 16 to February 8 on 2,143 children in China. It found that cases of COVID-19 in kids were generally less severe than those in adults, although infants had higher rates of severe illness than older children. Just under 11 percent of infants had severe or critical cases compared to 7 percent of children ages 1 to 5, 4 percent of those ages 6 to 10, 4 percent of those ages 11 to 15 and 3 percent of those age 16 and older.
While it may be some relief to parents that children generally experience mild symptoms, the fact is that some kids may get very sick. (A 12-year-old girl in Georgia had to be placed on a ventilator, the New York Times reported.)
Nobody really knows why younger kids may be more susceptible to infection than older children, but one theory is that infants and babies have not yet developed immunity to any (or many) of the common coronavirus strains that normally circulate. Few of us had heard of coronavirus before the start of 2020, but it’s nothing new, pediatrician Cara Natterson, MD, the author of Decoding Boys: New Science Behind the Subtle Art of Raising Sons, tells Health. “It’s a family of viruses that causes the common cold. But this strain that is spreading across the world is new.”
It makes sense that babies would be the sickest from COVID-19, because they have very vulnerable immune systems, Rebecca C. Brightman, MD, assistant clinical professor of obstetrics, gynecology and reproductive medicine at The Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, tells Health.
The same reasoning explains why older children aren’t typically getting ill from the coronavirus. (However, as the New York Times reported, the death of a 17-year boy in California is being investigated as a possible case of coronavirus. If confirmed, he would be the first known minor in the US to succumb to COVID-19, says the Times.)
Of the children studied in China, about 4 percent of them were asymptomatic (showed no symptoms at all), 51 percent had mild illness and 39 percent had moderate illness. About 6 percent had severe or critical illness, compared to 18.5 percent of adults. One child, a 14-year-old boy, died.
“Once infants become toddlers, they are exposed to many germs and viruses, which serves to strengthen their immune systems, including the common coronavirus strains,” Dr. Brightman explains. “This is why children and young adults probably do well with COVID-19. With age (i.e. people over 65), the immune system weakens and they too are at greater risk of developing severe symptoms and warranting hospitalization.”
When it comes to the symptoms of COVID-19, they’re generally the same in kids as in adults, but milder Dr. Natterson says. “Look for a cough, fever, runny nose and shortness of breath.”
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) confirms that the coronavirus symptoms are similar in children and adults, adding that vomiting and diarrhea have also been reported in kids. “It’s not known yet whether some children may be at higher risk for severe illness, for example, children with underlying medical conditions and special healthcare needs,” the website states. “There is much more to be learned about how the disease impacts children.”
If you think your child has COVID-19, the first thing you should do is call your doctor, Dr. Natterson says. But don’t walk in to an ER or Urgent Care unless you’re told to do so by a healthcare professional. “Right now, we want to keep people away from ERs to minimize the flood of patients that need to be seen,” she explains. “We also don’t want to expose non-coronavirus patients to ones with the virus. Save the care for patients who need it.”
Your doctor will advise you on how to treat your child’s symptoms and protect other family members. “Parents should quarantine the entire family if one child is ill,” Dr. Natterson says. “The very best way to protect other people from getting the virus is to limit exposure, so if there is someone in the house in a high risk group (with an underlying medical condition or who is elderly), you will want to figure out a system to keep that person separated from the one who is infected with COVID-19, and you’ll want to wipe down surfaces frequently and wash hands very regularly.”
If anything, the Pediatrics study should remind everyone of the importance of social distancing, Dr. Natterson adds. “Parents shouldn’t feel added anxiety because of these reports—stressing out won’t help, but social distancing will.”
She says the best protection against infection is to keep your kids home as much as possible, don’t have other kids (or adults) over to visit and don’t go into other peoples’ homes for now. And when kids do hang out in person, keep it outside with at least six feet of distance between them.
More testing and research is needed to understand children’s role in spreading the virus in their communities. In the meantime, follow the guidelines and your doctor’s advice, and stay safe.
The information in this story is accurate as of press time. However, as the situation surrounding COVID-19 continues to evolve, it's possible that some data have changed since publication. While Health is trying to keep our stories as up-to-date as possible, we also encourage readers to stay informed on news and recommendations for their own communities by using the CDC, WHO, and their local public health department as resources.
T
A new study, published March 16 in Pediatrics, looked at data from January 16 to February 8 on 2,143 children in China. It found that cases of COVID-19 in kids were generally less severe than those in adults, although infants had higher rates of severe illness than older children. Just under 11 percent of infants had severe or critical cases compared to 7 percent of children ages 1 to 5, 4 percent of those ages 6 to 10, 4 percent of those ages 11 to 15 and 3 percent of those age 16 and older.
While it may be some relief to parents that children generally experience mild symptoms, the fact is that some kids may get very sick. (A 12-year-old girl in Georgia had to be placed on a ventilator, the New York Times reported.)
Nobody really knows why younger kids may be more susceptible to infection than older children, but one theory is that infants and babies have not yet developed immunity to any (or many) of the common coronavirus strains that normally circulate. Few of us had heard of coronavirus before the start of 2020, but it’s nothing new, pediatrician Cara Natterson, MD, the author of Decoding Boys: New Science Behind the Subtle Art of Raising Sons, tells Health. “It’s a family of viruses that causes the common cold. But this strain that is spreading across the world is new.”
It makes sense that babies would be the sickest from COVID-19, because they have very vulnerable immune systems, Rebecca C. Brightman, MD, assistant clinical professor of obstetrics, gynecology and reproductive medicine at The Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, tells Health.
The same reasoning explains why older children aren’t typically getting ill from the coronavirus. (However, as the New York Times reported, the death of a 17-year boy in California is being investigated as a possible case of coronavirus. If confirmed, he would be the first known minor in the US to succumb to COVID-19, says the Times.)
Of the children studied in China, about 4 percent of them were asymptomatic (showed no symptoms at all), 51 percent had mild illness and 39 percent had moderate illness. About 6 percent had severe or critical illness, compared to 18.5 percent of adults. One child, a 14-year-old boy, died.
“Once infants become toddlers, they are exposed to many germs and viruses, which serves to strengthen their immune systems, including the common coronavirus strains,” Dr. Brightman explains. “This is why children and young adults probably do well with COVID-19. With age (i.e. people over 65), the immune system weakens and they too are at greater risk of developing severe symptoms and warranting hospitalization.”
When it comes to the symptoms of COVID-19, they’re generally the same in kids as in adults, but milder Dr. Natterson says. “Look for a cough, fever, runny nose and shortness of breath.”
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) confirms that the coronavirus symptoms are similar in children and adults, adding that vomiting and diarrhea have also been reported in kids. “It’s not known yet whether some children may be at higher risk for severe illness, for example, children with underlying medical conditions and special healthcare needs,” the website states. “There is much more to be learned about how the disease impacts children.”
If you think your child has COVID-19, the first thing you should do is call your doctor, Dr. Natterson says. But don’t walk in to an ER or Urgent Care unless you’re told to do so by a healthcare professional. “Right now, we want to keep people away from ERs to minimize the flood of patients that need to be seen,” she explains. “We also don’t want to expose non-coronavirus patients to ones with the virus. Save the care for patients who need it.”
Your doctor will advise you on how to treat your child’s symptoms and protect other family members. “Parents should quarantine the entire family if one child is ill,” Dr. Natterson says. “The very best way to protect other people from getting the virus is to limit exposure, so if there is someone in the house in a high risk group (with an underlying medical condition or who is elderly), you will want to figure out a system to keep that person separated from the one who is infected with COVID-19, and you’ll want to wipe down surfaces frequently and wash hands very regularly.”
If anything, the Pediatrics study should remind everyone of the importance of social distancing, Dr. Natterson adds. “Parents shouldn’t feel added anxiety because of these reports—stressing out won’t help, but social distancing will.”
She says the best protection against infection is to keep your kids home as much as possible, don’t have other kids (or adults) over to visit and don’t go into other peoples’ homes for now. And when kids do hang out in person, keep it outside with at least six feet of distance between them.
More testing and research is needed to understand children’s role in spreading the virus in their communities. In the meantime, follow the guidelines and your doctor’s advice, and stay safe.
The information in this story is accurate as of press time. However, as the situation surrounding COVID-19 continues to evolve, it's possible that some data have changed since publication. While Health is trying to keep our stories as up-to-date as possible, we also encourage readers to stay informed on news and recommendations for their own communities by using the CDC, WHO, and their local public health department as resources.
T