Immune response against SARS‐CoV‐2 in pediatric patients including young infants

• Published in: Journal of Medical Virology 2021-03, Vol.93 (3), p.1776-1779
• Main Authors: Kawamura, Yoshiki, Higashimoto, Yuki, Miura, Hiroki, Ihira, Masaru, Inaba, Masato, Ito, Ryota, Kozawa, Kei, Yoshikawa, Tetsushi
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adolescents; antibodies; Antibodies, Viral - blood; Asymptomatic; Asymptomatic Diseases - epidemiology; Caregivers; Child; Child, Preschool; Children; Coronaviridae; coronavirus disease 2019; Coronaviruses; COVID-19; COVID-19 - immunology; Female; Hospitalization; Humans; Immune response; Immune system; Infant; Infants; Male; Nasopharynx - virology; Parents; Patients; Pediatrics; SARS-CoV-2 - immunology; Seroconversion; Severe acute respiratory syndrome; Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2; Viral diseases; Virology
• ISSN: 0146-6615; 1096-9071
• DOI: 10.1002/jmv.26493

Pediatric cases of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19) are generally mild or asymptomatic, and are usually detected by virological examination following close contact with COVID‐19 patients, often the children's parents. The detailed clinical features and virological data of pediatric patients with COVID‐19, particularly young infants, remain unclear. Here, the clinical and virological characteristics of four children with COVID‐19 including two young infants were investigated. One‐ and 4‐month‐old boys with COVID‐19 were both asymptomatic, and seroconversion was demonstrated. These findings suggest that even young infants can mount an immune response against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS‐CoV‐2), despite having weaker immune defenses than adolescents and adults. Three‐year‐old boy, who was SARS‐CoV‐2‐negative, was admitted to the same room as his SARS‐CoV‐2‐positive father due to the lack of caregivers. Although he was asymptomatic, he had seroconverted to SARS‐CoV‐2. Eleven‐year‐old boy, who was sibling of the 3‐year‐old boy, was also SARS‐CoV‐2‐negative. He was isolated in his own room and did not seroconvert. If young children are SARS‐CoV‐2 negative, they should be isolated from their SARS‐CoV‐2‐positive parents. This may be difficult in practice, if parents with COVID‐19 are the only available caregivers. In such situations, the most appropriate measures should be taken for each patient.