The COVID-19 pandemic in a paediatric population: A health care perspective

SARS-CoV-2, a member of the coronaviridae family, has caused a deadly pandemic known as the Coronavirus disease 2019, (COVID-19). Paediatric patients get infected by direct exposures or airborne droplets, mostly from households with a cluster of infection or a history of exposure to outbreak areas. COVID-19 is contagious in children (those under the age of 18), with an average incubation time of around 6.5 days. Paediatric patients account for less than 5% of total COVID-19 patients worldwide, and hence studies involving such subjects are unlikely in the near future. As a result, there are inadequate data about COVID-19 infection in children. Therefore, we present this systematic review to understand the epidemiology, clinical features, diagnostic outcomes, and available options for the management of COVID-19 in paediatric populations in order to advise clinical and public health policy choices for safety of children worldwide.