Signs and Symptoms of COVID-19 in Children

COVID-19 has been recorded in fewer cases in children (ages 0-17 years) than in adults in the United States and around the world. Despite the fact that children make up 22% of the population in the United States, the most recent data available from the CDC shows that some COVID-19 cases reported to the CDC in the United States were among minors. Since March 2020, the number and rate of cases in children in the United States has been continuously increasing. Due to a lack of widespread testing and the prioritising of testing for adults and those with severe disease, the true rate of SARS-CoV-2 infection in children remains unknown. Children's hospitalisation rates for COVID-19 are much lower than adults', implying that children may experience less severe disease from COVID-19 than adults. SARS-CoV-2 appears to have a similar incubation period in infants and adults, ranging from 2 to 14 days with an average of 6 days. Children infected with SARS-CoV-2 may experience many of these non-specific symptoms, a few (such as primarily upper respiratory or gastrointestinal symptoms), or none at all. Cough and/or fever are the most prevalent symptoms in children.