Alliance for Pandemic Preparedness

August 28, 2020

Clinical Characteristics and Viral RNA Detection in Children with Coronavirus Disease 2019 in the Republic of Korea

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  • Han et al. report a case series of children (age <19 years; n=91) with SARS-CoV-2 across 20 hospitals and 2 isolation facilities across Korea (mid-February to March) and found that 22% of children were asymptomatic. Only 9% of symptomatic cases were diagnosed at the time of symptom onset, while among those with symptoms, 66% had unrecognized symptoms before diagnosis and 25% developed symptoms after diagnosis. SARS-CoV-2 RNA persisted in upper respiratory samples for a mean of 17.6 days among all children and 14.1 days among asymptomatic children. Among the symptomatic children, 65% had mild illness, 28% had moderate illness, and 3% had severe illness and received supplemental oxygen via nasal prongs. No children required mechanical ventilation.

Han et al. (Aug 28, 2020). Clinical Characteristics and Viral RNA Detection in Children with Coronavirus Disease 2019 in the Republic of Korea. JAMA Pediatrics. https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamapediatrics/fullarticle/2770150