Update Children and COVID-19 Cedars-Sinai Skip to main content Close Select your preferred language English عربى 简体中文 繁體中文 فارسي עִברִית 日本語 한국어 Русский Español Tagalog Menu Close Call 1-800-CEDARS-1 toggle search form Close Los Angeles, 14 August 2020 12:30 PM America/Los_Angeles Update Children and COVID-19 For children older than 2, 'leaving the house means masking up," said pediatric infectious disease specialist Priya Soni, MD. Photo by Getty. Pediatric Infectious Disease Expert Explains the Best Way to Protect Children During the Pandemic Following this week's news of a 90% increase in the number of COVID-19 cases among U.S. children over the last four weeks, a lot of parents are asking if their youngsters need to mask up. The answer: It depends. Priya Soni, MD, a pediatric infectious disease specialist at Cedars-Sinai, says children under the age of 2 are not required to have masks on in public. But for children older than 2, Soni said, "leaving the house means masking up." The reason masks are not as crucial for infants and younger children is because their airways are smaller, making breathing through a mask more difficult. Younger children have also been found to be less likely to spread COVID-19 because their smaller airways mean they have less ability to spread large respiratory droplets to adults. "However, newer studies show that older children and teens can transmit the virus as effectively as adults," Soni said. There also are differences in symptoms between younger and older children. Older teens ill with COVID-19 have the same symptoms as adults – including coughing, shortness of breath and fever. But younger children experience different symptoms, like fatigue, runny nose, muscle aches, vomiting and/or diarrhea. "These symptoms, unfortunately, mirror many other childhood illnesses, so it is important for parents to be in communication with their pediatricians," Soni said. "Often, video visits can do the trick." For example, a pediatrician may be able to determine whether a child has seasonal allergies or something more worrisome just by seeing the patient via a video visit. "As physicians, we are having to rely on our observational skills even more in the digital age," said Soni. "We are sharpening our skills to synthesize what the child isn't saying to us. Luckily, in pediatrics, most of us do this constantly and we feel comfortable guiding families through a difficult time, even via virtual visits." During the most recent uptick in COVID-19 cases in California, Cedars-Sinai saw an increase of children and teens coming to the Emergency Department. Although many tested positive for COVID-19, in general, pediatric patients required fewer hospitalizations. The reasons for this are likely due to multiple factors, such as the levels of ACE2 (angiotensin-converting enzyme 2) receptors in young children, especially those 4-9 years of age. ACE2 receptors are the doorways that allow the virus that causes COVID-19 to enter the body and eventually go to the lungs. Recently, it has been found that children do not have as many ACE2 receptors in the nasal tract, which might confer some protection against COVID-19 entering the body and causing damage. "Generally speaking, the lungs of children are younger and healthier than adults' lungs," Soni said. "We also believe that their immune systems may be primed to handle viruses better because of the frequent vaccines children receive in the earlier years." Related Stories RSS feed - Related Stories (opens in new window) View all headlines - Related Stories 15 Years of Heart October 03, 2022 06:01 AM America/Los_Angeles Pioneering heart care is a tradition at Cedars-Sinai. It’s a tradition that took root in 1924, when Cedars-Sinai became home to the first electrocardiogram machine in Los Angeles. The roots grew … Read more From AFib to Fitness Buff A Heart Transformed September 26, 2022 06:01 AM America/Los_Angeles Claudia Huerta, 43, knows a thing or two about transformations. After being diagnosed with a serious, though common, heart condition called atrial fibrillation (AFib), the payroll manager and … Read more RESEARCH ALERT The New England Journal of Medicine September 17, 2022 08:00 AM America/Los_Angeles FINDINGSA study published today in the New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM) found that among patients with aortic stenosis undergoing transfemoral TAVR, the use of a debris capturing device called … Read more Show previous items Show next items Contact the Media Team Email: [email protected] Share this release Update Children and COVID-19 Share on: Twitter Share on: Facebook Share on: LinkedIn Search Our Newsroom Social media Visit our Facebook page (opens in new window) Follow us on Twitter (opens in new window) Visit our Youtube profile (opens in new window) (opens in new window) Latest news 07 Oct 2022 - HealthDay: Black Women Less Likely to Get Laparoscopic Fibroid Surgeries 07 Oct 2022 - Faculty Publications: Sept. 29-Oct. 6 07 Oct 2022 - Fine-Tuning Organ-Chip Technology 06 Oct 2022 - KCRW: Want New Omicron Booster? Wait at Least 2 Months After Last Shot 05 Oct 2022 - Cedars-Sinai Schedules Free Flu Vaccine Clinics 04 Oct 2022 - Cedars-Sinai Showcases Hispanic and Latinx Art Newsroom Home