COVID-19 and Children Aged 5–11: Clinical Perspectives, Transmission Characteristics, and Societal Burden During the Pandemic
COVID-19 and Children Aged 5–11: Clinical Perspectives, Transmission Characteristics, and Societal Burden During the Pandemic Introduction: Why Focus on Children Aged 5–11 in the COVID-19 Era? The COVID-19 pandemic, originating in late 2019, has profoundly disrupted global health systems and social infrastructures. While early public health responses justifiably concentrated on the elderly and individuals with underlying health conditions due to their elevated morbidity and mortality risk, it became increasingly evident that children, particularly those aged 5–11, warrant distinct clinical and epidemiological consideration. Children in this age bracket are immunologically unique, developmentally dynamic, and socially active, particularly due to their routine school attendance and close peer interactions. These factors render them not only biologically different from adults but also strategically pivotal in understanding the broader transmission dynamics of SARS-CoV-2. Fur...