Children and Symptoms of Covid19

 

It has been evident, for some time, that the vast majority of children and young adults have milder infections with Covid-19 than older counterparts. The diagnostic features used to recognise an infection  are also different. Recognised signs of infection in children have, thus far, only included having a high temperature; a new, continuous cough and a loss or change in the sense of smell/taste. Researchers at Queens University, Belfast have now suggested that, having an upset stomach (with vomiting and/or diarrhoea), is a better diagnostic in the young (https://www.theguardian.com/science/2020/sep/03/diarrhoea-and-vomiting-may-be-key-sign-of-covid-in-children-study). This is interesting, especially given the recent suggestion that a 'bradykinin storm'  produces some of the life-threating responses to infection seen in older people. One of bradykinin's effects is to cause contraction of smooth muscle in the gut and this could produce the vomiting and diarrhoea in children. Perhaps these gastro-intestinal changes are more intense or simply more noticeable in children? Children, presumably, also don't show such marked fluid retention (oedema) in the lungs, after the bradykinin surge, as is seen in older folk?