COVID-19 Infection in Pediatric Population: An Overview of the Epidemiology, Clinical Features, Diagnosis, and Nursing Management in Children

COVID-19 disease, caused by SARS-CoV-2 virus infection, started in the province of Wuhan in China in December 2019 and has reached pandemic proportions by March 2020 affecting many countries worldwide. The purpose of this review is to present scientific evidence found until April 30, 2020 on the characteristics of COVID-19 in the pediatric population. Bibliographical review of articles has been conducted through PubMed and Google Scholar, from January to April. Most of the research included was conducted in China because only a small number of studies from Europe and other affected areas could be found, as the pandemic is still in progress. As for the children, the disease turns up with mild symptoms while the mortality rate in childhood is particularly low. The diagnosis of the disease is made through specific criteria, while a therapeutic protocol is applied for the treatment of the disease. The virus is mainly transmitted through the respiratory tract, although it has not been scientifically proven that the virus is transmitted through vertical transmission from mother to fetus.