Abstract
BACKGROUND: Limited studies have reported the clinical and epidemiological characteristics of children infected with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). This study aimed to provide the epidemiological characteristics of children with COVID-19 throughout China (outside of Hubei Province) based on public data. METHODS: This was an observational, cross-sectional study. We included a total of 279 diagnosed children based on the data of children infected with SARS-CoV-2 reported by the Health Commission in each province, autonomous region, municipality, or special administrative region in China (outside of Hubei Province) from January 24, 2020 to February 16, 2020. RESULTS: The number of newborns (0 days ≤ age ≤28 days), infants (28 days < age ≤1 year), children (1 year < age ≤5 years), and children (5 years < age ≤18 years) accounted for 0.7%, 6.5%, 23.7%, and 69.2% of the total number of infected children, respectively. We found that from January 23, 2020, to January 31, 2020, infected children mainly came from Wuhan, China. After February 3, 2020, family clustering transmission became the main mode of transmission. CONCLUSIONS: Family clustering transmission is currently the main model of transmission in children. Considering the mild symptoms in infected children, the possibility that children may be a source of the transmission should not be ignored.