The world is facing the Coronavirus Disease-2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, which is causing a large number of deaths and burden on intensive care facilities. It is caused by Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) originating in Wuhan, China. It has been seen that fewer children contract COVID-19 and among infected, children have less severe disease. Insights into pathophysiological mechanisms of less severity in children could be important for devising therapeutics for high-risk adults and the elderly. Early closing of schools and day-care centers led to less frequent exposure and hence, the lower infection rate in children.
The expression of the primary target receptor for SARS-CoV-2, i.e. angiotensin-converting enzyme-2 (ACE-2), decreases with age. ACE-2 has lung-protective effects by limiting angiotensin-2 mediated pulmonary capillary leak and inflammation. Severe…
