Some Children Develop Severe COVID-19 Disease, WHO Warns; CDC Analysis Shows Younger People At Risk Of Serious Infection

CNBC: WHO warns some children develop ‘severe’ or ‘critical’ disease from coronavirus
“The World Health Organization said parents need to prepare their kids to guard against COVID-19 after a new study showed that babies and very young children can sometimes develop severe symptoms. … The new study, which was published online in the journal Pediatrics, looked at 2,143 cases of children with confirmed or suspected COVID-19 that were reported to the Chinese Centers for Disease Control and Prevention between Jan. 16 and Feb. 8. More than 90% of the cases were asymptomatic, mild or moderate cases. However, nearly 6% of the children’s cases were severe or critical, compared with 18.5% for adults…” (Lovelace, 3/18).

The Hill: CDC analysis shows coronavirus poses serious risk for younger people
“Early data analyzed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) shows that younger Americans are at substantial risk of experiencing serious medical problems from the coronavirus sweeping the globe. That data runs counter to some of the early messaging from public health officials in other parts of the world…” (Wilson, 3/18).

U.N. News: Still ‘early days’ to assess COVID-19 impact on women, children — UNICEF official
“…U.N. News spoke to Ms. Luwei Pearson, acting director of UNICEF’s Health Programme Division, about the agency’s quick response to the coronavirus outbreak and other issues related to what is now a global pandemic, including its impact on millions of children faced with school closures…” (3/18).

Additional coverage of the impact of COVID-19 on different age groups and genders is available from CNBC, The Hill, Newsweek, New York Times (2), and Washington Post.

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