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Yes. When a child is infected with COVID-19, they are more likely to have an asymptomatic case, or one that is mild to moderate in severity. The prevalence of long COVID in children is estimated at 1% vs 6-7% in adults.[11]
Children are more likely to experience gastrointestinal symptoms than adults.[12] Children are less likely to become hospitalized than adults.[3][13][14][15]
Several explanations contributing to the milder COVID-19 symptoms experienced, in the acute phase, by children have been suggested, including:[16][17]
a lower expression of ACE-2 (the receptor used by SARS-CoV-2 for cell entry) in the respiratory tract in younger children
viral interference (e.g. by other coronaviruses)
cross-reactive immune responses (e.g. antibodies, CD8+ and/or CD4+ T-cells reactive to other viral antigens than of SARS-CoV-2)
some protection offered from an increased Th2-response
The most common symptoms among children include fever symptoms, followed by a dry cough.[18][15] Other commonly reported symptoms among children include nasal congestion or runniness, fatigue, and headache.[14]
Severe illness is possible. In some instances respiratory support (such as a ventilator) may be required. Some children have experienced multiple organ failure. Such severe or critical cases were most common among children with certain underlying conditions, such as for example, asthma or those with weakened immune systems.[15][18][19] Overall, Children are associated with lower mortality rates than other age groups, when infected with COVID-19.[12]
Some children who become infected develop a rare condition known as MIS-C, short for "multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children".[20] This causes a persistent fever and extreme inflammation.[4][5][13][21] Other symptoms associated with MIS-C include severe abdominal pain and hypotension.[20][22]
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