SynthesisPediatric pulmonology2020
Clinical manifestations of children with COVID-19: A systematic review.
Synthesis in Pediatric pulmonology, 2020. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 166 papers, 11 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
166 citing papers in PubMed, 11 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.
- Diagnostic accuracy of clinical signs and symptoms of COVID-19: A systematic review and meta-analysis to investigate the different estimates in a different stage of the pandemic outbreak.Journal of global health · 2023Pooled it
- The role of children in household transmission of COVID-19: a systematic review and meta-analysis.International journal of infectious diseases : IJID : official publication of the International Society for Infectious Diseases · 2022Pooled it
- Gastrointestinal viral shedding in children with SARS-CoV-2: a systematic review and meta-analysis.World journal of pediatrics : WJP · 2022Pooled it
- Safety, Immunogenicity, and Efficacy of COVID-19 Vaccines in Adolescents, Children, and Infants: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.Frontiers in public health · 2022Pooled it
- Neurological Complications of SARS-CoV-2 Infection in Children: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.Journal of tropical pediatrics · 2021Pooled it
- Multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children related to COVID-19: a systematic review.European journal of pediatrics · 2021Pooled it
- A systematic review and meta-analysis of children with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).Journal of medical virology · 2021Pooled it
- Risk and protective factors of SARS-CoV-2 infection.Journal of medical virology · 2021Pooled it
- COVID-19 PICU guidelines: for high- and limited-resource settings.Pediatric research · 2020Guideline
- What we know so far about Coronavirus Disease 2019 in children: A meta-analysis of 551 laboratory-confirmed cases.Pediatric pulmonology · 2020Pooled it
- Clinical manifestations of children with COVID-19: A systematic review.Pediatric pulmonology · 2020Pooled it
- Risk of SARS-CoV-2 Infection and Hospitalisation in Immunocompromised Children: A Population-Based Cohort Study in Italy and Norway.Acta paediatrica (Oslo, Norway : 1992) · 2026Article
- Pathogen and Patient Characteristics and the Severity of Viral Respiratory Infections in Children.JAMA network open · 2026Article
- Immune transcriptomic differences in paediatric patients with SARS-CoV-2 compared to other lower respiratory tract infections.bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology · 2025Article
- Review
- Seroprevalence of SARS-CoV-2 IgG antibodies in children seeking medical care in Seattle, WA June 2020 to December 2022.Microbiology spectrum · 2025Article
- Mild and moderate manifestations of SARS-CoV-2 infection, including hospitalization, in children and adolescents with cystic fibrosis.Einstein (Sao Paulo, Brazil) · 2025Article
- The Incidence and Clinical Characteristics of COVID-19 in Children With IBD During the Omicron Wave: A Single-Center Experience in China.Gastroenterology research and practice · 2025Article
- "We Could Hold Our Own Here at Home": Longitudinal Experience of COVID-19 Lockdowns in Parents With Children Affected With Interstitial Lung Disease.Pediatric pulmonology · 2025Article
- COVID-19 in Children and Vitamin D.International journal of molecular sciences · 2024Review
106 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
5 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundThe coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak is an unprecedented global public health challenge, leading to thousands of deaths every day worldwide. Despite the epidemiological importance, clinical patterns of children with COVID-19 remain unclear. The aim of this study was to describe the clinical, laboratorial, and radiological characteristics of children with COVID-19.
methodsThe Medline database was searched between December 1st 2019 and April 6th 2020. No language restrictions were applied. Inclusion criteria were (a) studied patients younger than 18 years old; (b) presented original data from cases of COVID-19 confirmed by reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction; and (c) contained descriptions of clinical manifestations, laboratory tests, or radiological examinations.
resultsA total of 38 studies (1124 cases) were included. From all the cases, 1117 had their severity classified: 14.2% were asymptomatic, 36.3% were mild, 46.0% were moderate, 2.1% were severe, and 1.2% were critical. The most prevalent symptom was fever (47.5%), followed by cough (41.5%), nasal symptoms (11.2%), diarrhea (8.1%), and nausea/vomiting (7.1%). One hundred forty-five (36.9%) children were diagnosed with pneumonia and 43 (10.9%) upper airway infections were reported. Reduced lymphocyte count was reported in 12.9% of cases. Abnormalities in computed tomography were reported in 63.0% of cases. The most prevalent abnormalities reported were ground-glass opacities, patchy shadows, and consolidations. Only one death was reported.
conclusionsClinical manifestations of children with COVID-19 differ widely from adult cases. Fever and respiratory symptoms should not be considered a hallmark of COVID-19 in children.
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