The Evolving Epidemiologic and Clinical Picture of SARS-CoV-2 and COVID-19 Disease in Children and Young People

2 The Evolving Epidemiologic and Clinical Picture of SARS-CoV-2 and COVID-19 Disease in Children and Young People KEY FINDINGS AND RECOMMENDATIONS • The risks of SARS-CoV-2 infection in children and young people appear to differ geographically, with reported COVID-19 disease cases in children and adolescents varying widely between countries; however, this may reflect differences in testing practic. [...] The following provides a summary of the current epidemiology of SARS-CoV-2 and COVID-19 disease in children across countries and the evolving manifestations of infection and disease in the paediatric and adolescent population, identifying gaps in the current data and knowledge base and provide policy, programme and evidence implications. [...] The vast majority of the world’s children and adolescents live in LMICs, and with the observed upward trend in reported COVID-19 caseloads in these and in high- income settings, it is imperative to evaluate the direct effects of the disease on children and adolescents. [...] The vast majority of the world’s children and adolescents live in LMICs, and with the observed upward trend in reported COVID-19 caseloads in these and in high-income settings, it is imperative to evaluate the direct effects of the disease on children and adolescents. [...] Signs and symptoms in children and adolescents were similar to those in adults, but were lower in frequency in children; fever was present in 53 per cent of children compared to 78 per cent of adults, and cough in 48 per cent versus 54 per cent, respectively.