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Review
. 2022 Sep 8;19(1):144.
doi: 10.1186/s12985-022-01873-4.

SARS-CoV-2 infection in pediatric population before and during the Delta (B.1.617.2) and Omicron (B.1.1.529) variants era

Haifa Khemiri  1   2 , Kaouther Ayouni  1   2 , Henda Triki  1 , Sondes Haddad-Boubaker  3   4
Affiliations
Review

SARS-CoV-2 infection in pediatric population before and during the Delta (B.1.617.2) and Omicron (B.1.1.529) variants era

Haifa Khemiri et al. Virol J. .

Abstract

Background: COVID-19, the coronavirus disease that emerged in December 2019, caused drastic damage worldwide. At the beginning of the pandemic, available data suggested that the infection occurs more frequently in adults than in infants. In this review, we aim to provide an overview of SARS-CoV-2 infection in children before and after B.1.617.2 Delta and B.1.1.529 Omicron variants emergence in terms of prevalence, transmission dynamics, clinical manifestations, complications and risk factors.

Methods: Our method is based on the literature search on PubMed, Science Direct and Google Scholar. From January 2020 to July 2022, a total of 229 references, relevant for the purpose of this review, were considered.

Results: The incidence of SARS-CoV-2 infection in infants was underestimated. Up to the first half of May, most of the infected children presented asymptomatic or mild manifestations. The prevalence of COVID-19 varied from country to another: the highest was reported in the United States (22.5%). COVID-19 can progress and become more severe, especially with the presence of underlying health conditions. It can also progress into Kawasaki or Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome (MIS) manifestations, as a consequence of exacerbating immune response. With the emergence of the B.1.617.2 Delta and B.1.1.529 Omicron variants, it seems that these variants affect a large proportion of the younger population with the appearance of clinical manifestations similar to those presented by adults with important hospitalization rates.

Conclusion: The pediatric population constitutes a vulnerable group that requires particular attention, especially with the emergence of more virulent variants. The increase of symptomatic SARS-CoV-2 infection and hospitalization rate among children highlights the need to extend vaccination to the pediatric population.

Keywords: COVID-19; Children; Delta variant; Immunodepressive; MIS-C; Omicron variant; Prevalence; Risk factors; Symptoms.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare that they have no competing interest.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
The literature search on COVID-19 in children before and during the Delta and Omicron variants era
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Prevalence of positive COVID-19 infants in different regions of the World Health Organization (WHO): AMR colored in red, EMR colored in yellow, ER colored in purple, AR colored in blue, SEAR colored in green and WPR colored in blue light
Fig. 3
Fig. 3
Prevalence of hospital admission of COVID-19 infants before and after the emergence of omicron variant
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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Publication types

Supplementary concepts