Children (Feb 2022)
COVID-19 Infection in Children and Infants: Current Status on Therapies and Vaccines
- Giuseppina Malcangi,
- Alessio Danilo Inchingolo,
- Angelo Michele Inchingolo,
- Fabio Piras,
- Vito Settanni,
- Grazia Garofoli,
- Giulia Palmieri,
- Sabino Ceci,
- Assunta Patano,
- Antonio Mancini,
- Luigi Vimercati,
- Damiano Nemore,
- Arnaldo Scardapane,
- Biagio Rapone,
- Alexandra Semjonova,
- Maria Teresa D’Oria,
- Luigi Macchia,
- Ioana Roxana Bordea,
- Giovanni Migliore,
- Antonio Scarano,
- Felice Lorusso,
- Gianluca Martino Tartaglia,
- Delia Giovanniello,
- Ludovica Nucci,
- Nicola Maggialetti,
- Antonio Parisi,
- Marina Di Domenico,
- Nicola Brienza,
- Silvio Tafuri,
- Pasquale Stefanizzi,
- Luigi Curatoli,
- Alberto Corriero,
- Maria Contaldo,
- Francesco Inchingolo,
- Gianna Dipalma
Affiliations
- Giuseppina Malcangi
- Department of Interdisciplinary Medicine, University of Bari Aldo Moro, 70124 Bari, Italy
- Alessio Danilo Inchingolo
- Department of Interdisciplinary Medicine, University of Bari Aldo Moro, 70124 Bari, Italy
- Angelo Michele Inchingolo
- Department of Interdisciplinary Medicine, University of Bari Aldo Moro, 70124 Bari, Italy
- Fabio Piras
- Department of Interdisciplinary Medicine, University of Bari Aldo Moro, 70124 Bari, Italy
- Vito Settanni
- Department of Interdisciplinary Medicine, University of Bari Aldo Moro, 70124 Bari, Italy
- Grazia Garofoli
- Department of Interdisciplinary Medicine, University of Bari Aldo Moro, 70124 Bari, Italy
- Giulia Palmieri
- Department of Interdisciplinary Medicine, University of Bari Aldo Moro, 70124 Bari, Italy
- Sabino Ceci
- Department of Interdisciplinary Medicine, University of Bari Aldo Moro, 70124 Bari, Italy
- Assunta Patano
- Department of Interdisciplinary Medicine, University of Bari Aldo Moro, 70124 Bari, Italy
- Antonio Mancini
- Department of Interdisciplinary Medicine, University of Bari Aldo Moro, 70124 Bari, Italy
- Luigi Vimercati
- Department of Interdisciplinary Medicine, University of Bari Aldo Moro, 70124 Bari, Italy
- Damiano Nemore
- Department of Interdisciplinary Medicine, University of Bari Aldo Moro, 70124 Bari, Italy
- Arnaldo Scardapane
- Department of Interdisciplinary Medicine, University of Bari Aldo Moro, 70124 Bari, Italy
- Biagio Rapone
- Department of Interdisciplinary Medicine, University of Bari Aldo Moro, 70124 Bari, Italy
- Alexandra Semjonova
- Department of Interdisciplinary Medicine, University of Bari Aldo Moro, 70124 Bari, Italy
- Maria Teresa D’Oria
- Department of Interdisciplinary Medicine, University of Bari Aldo Moro, 70124 Bari, Italy
- Luigi Macchia
- Department of Emergency and Organ Transplantation (D.E.T.O.), School and Chair of Allergology and Clinical Immunology, University of Bari Aldo Moro, 70121 Bari, Italy
- Ioana Roxana Bordea
- Department of Oral Rehabilitation, Faculty of Dentistry, Iuliu Hațieganu University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 400012 Cluj-Napoca, Romania
- Giovanni Migliore
- University Hospital of Bari, 70124 Bari, Italy
- Antonio Scarano
- Department of Innovative Technologies in Medicine and Dentistry, University of Chieti-Pescara, 66100 Chieti, Italy
- Felice Lorusso
- Department of Innovative Technologies in Medicine and Dentistry, University of Chieti-Pescara, 66100 Chieti, Italy
- Gianluca Martino Tartaglia
- UOC Maxillo-Facial Surgery and Dentistry, Department of Biomedical, Surgical and Dental Sciences, School of Dentistry, Fondazione IRCCS Ca Granda, Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, University of Milan, 20100 Milan, Italy
- Delia Giovanniello
- Department of Toracic Surgery, Hospital “San Camillo Forlanini”, 00152 Rome, Italy
- Ludovica Nucci
- Multidisciplinary Department of Medical-Surgical and Dental Specialties, University of Campania Luigi Vanvitelli, Via Luigi de Crecchio, 6, 80138 Naples, Italy
- Nicola Maggialetti
- Department of Medical Science, Neuroscience and Sensory Organs, University of Bari Aldo Moro, 70124 Bari, Italy
- Antonio Parisi
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Puglia e della Basilicata, 71121 Foggia, Italy
- Marina Di Domenico
- Department of Precision Medicine, University of Campania Luigi Vanvitelli, 80138 Naples, Italy
- Nicola Brienza
- Unit of Anesthesia and Resuscitation, Department of Emergencies and Organ Transplantations, Aldo Moro University, 70124 Bari, Italy
- Silvio Tafuri
- Department of Biomedical Science and Human Oncology, University of Bari, 70124 Bari, Italy
- Pasquale Stefanizzi
- Department of Biomedical Science and Human Oncology, University of Bari, 70124 Bari, Italy
- Luigi Curatoli
- Department Neurosciences & Sensory Organs & Musculoskeletal System, University of Bari Aldo Moro, 70124 Bari, Italy
- Alberto Corriero
- Unit of Anesthesia and Resuscitation, Department of Emergencies and Organ Transplantations, Aldo Moro University, 70124 Bari, Italy
- Maria Contaldo
- Multidisciplinary Department of Medical-Surgical and Dental Specialties, University of Campania Luigi Vanvitelli, Via Luigi de Crecchio, 6, 80138 Naples, Italy
- Francesco Inchingolo
- Department of Interdisciplinary Medicine, University of Bari Aldo Moro, 70124 Bari, Italy
- Gianna Dipalma
- Department of Interdisciplinary Medicine, University of Bari Aldo Moro, 70124 Bari, Italy
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.3390/children9020249
- Journal volume & issue
-
Vol. 9,
no. 2
p. 249
Abstract
Since the beginning in December 2019, the SARS-CoV-2 outbreak appeared to affect mostly the adult population, sparing the vast majority of children who only showed mild symptoms. The purpose of this investigation is to assess the status on the mechanisms that give children and infants this variation in epidemiology compared to the adult population and its impact on therapies and vaccines that are aimed towards them. A literature review, including in vitro studies, reviews, published guidelines and clinical trials was performed. Clinical trials concerned topics that allowed a descriptive synthesis to be produced. Four underlying mechanisms were found that may play a key role in providing COVID-19 protection in babies. No guidelines are available yet for therapy due to insufficient data; support therapy remains the most used. Only two vaccines are approved by the World Health Organization to be used in children from 12 years of age, and there are currently no efficacy or safety data for children below the age of 12 years. The COVID-19 clinical frame infection is milder in children and adolescents. This section of the population can act as vectors and reservoirs and play a key role in the transmission of the infection; therefore, vaccines are paramount. More evidence is required to guide safely the vaccination campaign.
Keywords
