Pediatric COVID-19 in Southern California: clinical features and viral genetic diversity

As the pandemic enters its fifth month, information regarding COVID-19 in children is rapidly evolving. Here, we explore clinical features and SARS-CoV-2 genetic variation in children presenting with COVID-19. We observed diverse clinical presentations and identified association between disease severity, viral load and age. SARS-CoV-2 genomes from the patients showed limited number of variations and an evolutionary rate comparable to other RNA viruses. We did not identify correlation between disease severity and viral genetic variations. Epidemiological investigation revealed multiple introductions of virus into Southern California.