The study published in the journal ‘Nature Communications’ has revealed discovery of pathways that are activated in severe cases of COVID-19 in children. This according to the study can further lead to faster diagnosis and targeted treatments for the disease.
Researchers have identified disease mechanisms in children with COVID-19 who present with multisystem inflammatory syndrome. In this kind of inflammatory syndrome, different body parts can become inflamed including the heart, lungs, and brain.
It can also lead to a type of lung disease called acute respiratory distress syndrome.
Blood samples from 20 healthy children were collected and samples from 33 SARS-CoV-2 infected children with multisystem inflammatory syndrome or acute respiratory distress syndrome, as part of the study.
Among the main triggers for severe COVID-19 in children, the researchers pointed out were blood clotting and how proteins in the immune system reacted to the virus.
Clarity has been sought as a part of the study on what causes some children to develop very severe COVID-19 disease as according to Conor McCafferty, PhD student at the University of Melbourne in Australia said, “Children are in general less susceptible to COVID-19 and present with milder symptoms.
McCafferty further added that our research was the first to uncover the specific blood clotting and immune protein pathways impacted in children with COVID-19 who developed serious symptoms.
Professor Damien Bonnet, from the Greater Paris University Hospitals, France, explained, “Key issues to improve treatment and outcomes which were considered involved collecting samples to further describe the mechanisms of these syndromes and establishing worldwide collaborations.”
The research found 85 and 52 proteins were specific to multisystem inflammatory syndrome and acute respiratory distress syndrome, respectively. Both syndromes are major potential outcomes of severe COVID-19.
Data shows 1.7 percent of reported paediatric hospitalised cases of COVID-19 included admission to the Intensive Care Unit, according to the researchers.
The study also revealed that it was difficult to quickly diagnose children with COVID-19 who present with multisystem inflammatory syndrome associated with clinical features to Kawasaki disease and toxic shock syndrome such as fever, abdominal pain, vomiting, skin rash and conjunctivitis.
According to Professor Vera Ignjatovic from Murdoch Children’s Research Institute (MCRI) in Australia, “The results provided an understanding of the processes that underly severe COVID-19 in children. This would further help in the development of diagnostic tests for early identification of children at risk and also therapeutic targets to improve the outcomes for those with severe cases.”
“Diagnosis, detection of acute COVID-19 cases and development of targeted treatment can be done effectively after knowing the mechanisms associated with severe COVID-19 in children,” Ignjatovic concluded while also adding that how the blood clotting and immune systems in children react to the virus will also help.
