The global pandemic of COVID-19, caused by the highly infectious and transmissible coronavirus, SARS-CoV-2, has become a leading cause of death in older adults. While adults can develop life-threatening complications such as pneumonia, acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), and sepsis from SARS-CoV-2 infection, its impact on children is less clinically apparent and needs to be studied.
Although children were initially felt to be spared from COVID-19, it has become clear that much needs to be learned as to how children and newborns are impacted by the pandemic. Research is needed to address:
- Viral transmission by children
- Differences in pediatric viral susceptibility and immune responses
- The impact of maternal SARS-CoV-2 infection on fetal development and
- Factors driving the MIS-C
The Pediatric COVID-19 Biorepository will serve as an important resource providing critical insight into disease pathogenesis, COVID-19-susceptibility, and future treatment and vaccination strategies.
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