Clinical and Epidemiological Features of the Novel Coronavirus Infection in Children (Literature Review)

Background. The World Health Organization officially declared the COVID-19 pandemic on March 11, 2020, affecting all age groups. Despite a milder course in children, the systemic nature of the lesions and the risk of severe complications necessitate continuous study of the clinical and epidemiological characteristics of the infection in this patient category to improve prevention and therapy methods.
Objective: to systematize and analyze Russian and international data on the dynamics of the epidemic process, clinical evolution, and pattern of multiorgan involvement in children.

Materials and methods. A search of Russian and international publications was conducted in PubMed, Medline, CyberLeninka, and eLibrary.ru, relevant to the topic, review objective, and keywords: “novel coronavirus infection COVID-19”, “children”, “epidemiology”, “clinical picture”, “complications”.

Key findings of the review. As of March 8, 2026, Russia had recorded 24.901.467 COVID-19 cases with 404.290 deaths. In the Amur Region, the incidence peaked in 2022 (72.387 cases), with a shift in morbidity structure towards children: from 10% in 2020 to 17.8% in 2022. A decrease in the proportion of viral pneumonia (from 22% in 2021 to 4.6% during Omicron dominance) and a predominance of mild respiratory forms (>93%) were observed. A heterogeneous pattern of neurological disorders (neurotoxicosis in 11.6% of young children, polyneuropathy in 46.5% of school-age children) and cardiac complications (myocarditis in 45.8% of patients) was identified. The kidneys are defined as a key target organ. The frequency of acute kidney injury in intensive care units reaches 20–30%. Risks of cyst formation and chronic kidney disease in the post-COVID period are described. Mortality in childhood is determined by the degree of multiorgan dysfunction (pSOFA score ≥5.6), while the survival rate of children on mechanical ventilation (73.4%) is higher than in older age groups.
Conclusion. The wave-like course of the pandemic with changing SARS-CoV-2 genetic variants led to increased pediatric involvement while maintaining the risk of serious organ damage. The data obtained justify the need for a multidisciplinary approach involving medical specialists from various fields, as well as long-term monitoring to assess the long-term consequences of the infection.

1. Akimkin V.G., Popova A.Yu., Ploskireva A.A., et al. COVID-19: pandemic evolution in Russia. Message I: manifestations of the COVID-19 epidemic process. Journal of Microbiology, Epidemiology and Immunobiology. 2022; 99 (3): 263–286. DOI: https://doi.org/10.36233/0372-9311-276 (In Russ.)

2. Elkina T.N., Gribanova O.A., Pirozhkova N.I., et al. Comparative characteristics of the course of the fourth and fifth waves of a new coronavirus infection in children. Mother and Child in Kuzbass. 2023; 1: 30–37. DOI: https://doi.org/10.24412/2686-73382023-1-30-37 (In Russ.)

3. Butaev T.M., Tsirikhova A.S., Kabaloeva D.V., Kudukhova D.O. Epidemiologic aspects in prevention of the new coronavirus infection (COVID-19): literature review. Health Risk Analysis. 2021; 3: 167–176. DOI: https://doi.org/10.21668/health.risk/2021.3.17.eng (In Russ.)

4. Zhmaeva L.I., Serebryakova E.N. Health status of children who had a new coronavirus infection. Practical Medicine. 2022; 20 (7): 19–21. DOI: https://doi.org/10.32000/2072-1757-2022-7-19-21 (In Russ.)

5. Peregoedova V.N., Bogomolova I.K., Yemelyanova A.N., et al. New coronavirus infection in children: epidemiology, clinical picture. Vyatka Medical Bulletin. 2023; 1: 24–29. (DOI: https://doi.org/10.24412/2220-7880-2023-1-24-29 (In Russ.)

6. Belykh N.A., Solovyeva O.A., Nikiforov A.A. Clinical, epidemiological and laboratory specificity of new coronavirus infection in children. Bulletin of Medical Science. 2024; 3 (35): 30–38. DOI: https://doi.org/10.31684/25418475-2024-3-30 (In Russ.)

7. Dong Y., Mo Х., Hu Y., et al. Epidemiological characteristics of 2143 pediatric patients with 2019 coronavirus disease in China. Pediatrics. 2020; 145 (6): e20200702. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1542/peds.2020-0702 (In Russ.)

8. Borisova O.V., Bochkareva N.M., Kitajchik S.M., et al. Features of clinical manifestations of COVID-19 in children of the Samara region. Pediatrics. Consilium Medicum. 2021; 1: 30–33. DOI: https://doi.org/10.26442/26586630.2021.1.200801 (In Russ.)

9. Kaplunov K.O., Kramar L.V., Shishimorov I.N., Zayachnikova T.E. Primary characteristics of children with PCR-confirmed diagnosis of COVID-19 in the Volgograd region. Journal of Volgograd State Medical University. 2021;1(77):94–97. DOI: https://doi.org/10.19163/1994-9480-2021-1(77)-94-97 (In Russ.)

10. Statistics of coronavirus in Russia. Coronavirus-monitor. Available at: https://coronavirus-monitor.info/country/russia/ (Аccessed 30.03.2026). (In Russ.)

11. Operational data. Stopcoronavirus.rf. Available at: https://стопкоронавирус.рф/ (Аccessed: 30.03.2026). (In Russ.)

12. Epidemiological situation. Rospotrebnadzor. Available at: https://www.rospotrebnadzor.ru/region/korono_virus/epid.php (Аccessed: 30.03.2026). (In Russ.)

13. Coronavirus (COVID-19) Cases. Our World in Data. Available at: https://ourworldindata.org/covid-cases (Аccessed: 30.03.2026).

14. On the state of sanitary and epidemiological welfare of the population in the Russian Federation in 2024: state report. Moscow: Federal Service for Supervision of Consumer Rights Protection and Human Welfare, 2025. 424 p. (In Russ.)

15. Materials for the state report “On the state of sanitary and epidemiological welfare of the population in the Russian Federation in 2024” in the Amur region: report. The Office of the Federal Service for Supervision of Consumer Rights Protection and Human Welfare in the Amur Region, the Center for Hygiene and Epidemiology in the Amur Region. Blagoveshchensk, 2025. 155 p. (In Russ.)

16. On the state of sanitary and epidemiological welfare of the population in the Russian Federation in 2020: state report. Moscow: Federal Service for Supervision of Consumer Rights Protection and Human Welfare, 2021. 256 p. (In Russ.)

17. On the state of sanitary and epidemiological welfare of the population in the Russian Federation in 2021: state report. Moscow: Federal Service for Supervision of Consumer Rights Protection and Human Welfare, 2022. 340 p. (In Russ.)

18. On the state of sanitary and epidemiological welfare of the population in the Russian Federation in 2022: state report. Moscow: Federal Service for Supervision of Consumer Rights Protection and Human Welfare, 2023. 368 p. (In Russ.)

19. On the state of sanitary and epidemiological welfare of the population in the Russian Federation in 2023: state report. Moscow: Federal Service for Supervision of Consumer Rights Protection and Human Welfare, 2024. 364 p. (In Russ.)

20. Materials for the state report “On the state of sanitary and epidemiological welfare of the population in the Russian Federation in 2020” in the Amur region: report. Office of the Federal Service for Supervision of Consumer Rights Protection and Human Welfare in the Amur Region. Blagoveshchensk, 2021. 130 p. (In Russ.)

21. Materials for the state report “On the state of sanitary and epidemiological welfare of the population in the Russian Federation in 2021” in the Amur region: report. Office of the Federal Service for Supervision of Consumer Rights Protection and Human Welfare in the Amur Region. Blagoveshchensk, 2022. 120 p. (In Russ.)

22. Materials for the state report “On the state of sanitary and epidemiological welfare of the population in the Russian Federation in 2022” in the Amur region: report. Office of the Federal Service for Supervision of Consumer Rights Protection and Human Welfare in the Amur Region. Blagoveshchensk, 2023. 148 p. (In Russ.)

23. Materials for the state report “On the state of sanitary and epidemiological welfare of the population in the Russian Federation in 2023” in the Amur region: report. Office of the Federal Service for Supervision of Consumer Rights Protection and Human Welfare in the Amur Region. Blagoveshchensk, 2024. 160 p.

24. Meskina E.R. Preliminary clinical and epidemiological analysis of the first 1000 cases of COVID-19 in children in the Moscow region. Journal of Microbiology, Epidemiology and Immunobiology. 2020; 97 (3): 202–215. DOI: https://doi.org/10.36233/0372-9311-2020-97-3-2

25. Ivanova R.A., Skripchenko N.V., Vishnevskaya T.V., et al. COVID-19 in children in a megalopolis: clinical, epidemiological and therapeutic aspects. Practical Medicine. 2020; 18 (6): 119–127. DOI: https://doi.org/10.32000/2072-1757-2020-6-119-127 (In Russ.)

26. Chen J., Yan C., Pan Y., et al. Pediatric COVID-19: clinical characteristics and prognostic outcomes. Microbiology Spectrum. 2025; 13 (10): e01577–25. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1128/spectrum.01577-25

27. Saidmuradova G.M., Madzhonova M.D., Karimova M.B., Aminjonova D.R. Clinical characteristics of nervous system lesions in children with COVID-19. Endless Light in Science. 2023; 2: 183–186. DOI: https://doi.org/10.24412/2709-1201-2022-1-183-186 (In Russ.)

28. Volodin N.N., Khasanova K.A., Gorbunov A.V., et al. Neurological aspects of COVID-19 in children and adolescents: literature review and case series description. Lechebnoe delo. 2023; 4: 18–32. DOI: https://doi.org/10.24412/2071-5315-2023-13032 (In Russ.)

29. Belan Yu.B., Gashina E.A., Lobova E.F., Shvets T.E. Heart lesions in children affected by COVID-19. Children infections. 2023; 22 (3): 45–49. DOI: https://doi.org/10.22627/2072-8107-2023-22-3-45-49 (In Russ.)

30. Tamrazova O.B., Stadnikova A.S., Rudikova E.V. Skin lesions in children with a new coronavirus infection COVID-19. RUDN Journal of Medicine. 2021; 25 (1): 16–24. DOI: https://doi.org/10.22363/2313-0245-2021-25-1-16-24 (In Russ.)

31. Ivanchikov V.V., Ambarchyan E.T., Kuzminova A.D. Dermatological manifestations of COVID-19 in children. Pediatric Pharmacology. 2022;19(2):154–162. DOI: https://doi.org/10.15690/pf.v19i2.2398 (In Russ.)

32. Panda M., Agarwal A., Hassanandani T. Dermatological Manifestations of COVID-19 in Children. Indian Pediatrics. 2022; 59 (5): 393–399. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s13312-022-2521-6

33. Neale H., Hawryluk E.B. COVID-19 Pediatric Dermatology. Dermatologic Clinics. 2021; 39 (4): 505–519. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.det.2021.05.012

34. Samitova E.R. Clinical and epidemiological features of the course of COVID-19 in children during periods of increased incidence in Moscow in 2020–2022. Epidemiology and Vaccinoprophylaxis. 2022; 21 (5): 38–48. DOI: https://doi.org/10.31631/2073-30462022-21-5-38-48 (In Russ.)

35. Buonsenso D., Perramon A., Català M., et al. Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in Children in Western Countries? Decreasing Incidence as the Pandemic Progresses? An Observational Multicenter International Cross-sectional Study. Pediatric Infectious Disease Journal. 2022; 41 (12): 989–993. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1097/INF.0000000000003713

36. Maltseva L.D., Lakomova D.Y., Zakharova N.B., et al. Potential targets for early diagnosis of acute kidney injury in patients with COVID-19 (literature review). Russian Clinical Laboratory Diagnostics. 2021; 66 (10): 586–592. DOI: https://doi.org/10.51620/0869-2084-2021-66-10-586-592 (In Russ.)

37. Kaprin A.D., Apolikhin O.I., Prosyannikov M.Yu., et al. Kidney damage in a new coronavirus infection. Literature review. Meditsinskiy opponent. 2021; 2 (14): 34–40. (In Russ.)

38. Li L., Zhou T., Lu Y., et al. Kidney Function Following COVID-19 in Children and Adolescents. JAMA Network Open. 2025; 8 (4): e254129. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2025.4129

39. Borisova O.V., Makovetskaya G.A., Mazur L.I., et al. COVID-19 pandemic and kidney damage in children: literature review and own regional observations. Meditsinskiy sovet. 2022; 16 (1): 134–141. DOI: https://doi.org/10.21518/2079-701X-2022-16-1-134-141

40. Vykhristenko L.R., Schastlivenko A.I., Bondarаva L.I., et al. Kidney damage in COVID-19 infection. Vestnik of Vitebsk State Medical University. 2021; 20 (1): 7–23. DOI: https://doi.org/10.22263/2312-4156.2021.1.7 (In Russ.)

41. Sharipova M.B. Features of the development of kidney cysts in patients against the background of COVID-19. Bulletin of the Smolensk State Medical Academy. 2022; 21 (4): 65–69. DOI: https://doi.org/10.37903/vsgma.2022.4.9 (In Russ.)

42. Aleksandrovich Yu.S., Prometnoy D.V., Mironov P.I., et al. Predictors of lethal outcome of new coronavirus infection COVID-19 in children. Messenger of Anesthesiology and Resuscitation. 2021; 18 (4): 29– 36. DOI: https://doi.org/10.21292/2078-5658-2021-18-4-29-36 (In Russ.)

43. Rakhmatullaeva Sh.B., Sadullaev S.E. Analysis of the relationship between comorbid diseases and the severity of COVID-19 in children. Children's Infections. 2025; 24 (4): 31–34. DOI: https://doi.org/10.22627/2072-8107-2025-24-4-31-34 (In Russ.)