Coronavirus Infection Among Children and Adolescents

Abstract

Coronavirus infection is a global emergency. Over the past few months, there is a rapid increase in the number of cases and deaths due to coronavirus infection. It has been observed that elderly individuals and those with medical co-morbidities are maximally affected. In children and adolescents, coronavirus infection has low mortality as well as the severity of symptoms are less. Children and adolescents with immunocompromised state, malnutrition, medical co-morbidities and poor hygiene are at higher risk of contracting coronavirus infection. Minimizing this risk factors and adopting appropriate prevention measures will be helpful in limiting the spread of infection as there is no specific treatment and immunization available to date to address this serious issue. This chapter highlights the issues and challenges of coronavirus infection in children and adolescents.