Minireviews
Copyright ©The Author(s) 2022. Published by Baishideng Publishing Group Inc. All rights reserved.
World J Virol. Nov 25, 2022; 11(6): 411-425
Published online Nov 25, 2022. doi: 10.5501/wjv.v11.i6.411
Effects of COVID-19 on children with autism
Mohammed Al-Beltagi, Nermin Kamal Saeed, Adel Salah Bediwy, Rawan Alhawamdeh, Samara Qaraghuli
Mohammed Al-Beltagi, Department of Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine, Tanta University, Tanta 31527, Alghrabia, Egypt
Mohammed Al-Beltagi, Department of Pediatrics, University Medical Center, Arabian Gulf University, King Abdulla Medical City, Arabian Gulf University, Manama 26671, Manama, Bahrain
Mohammed Al-Beltagi, Department of Pediatrics, University Medical Center, Dr. Sulaiman Al-Habib Medical Group, Manama 26671, Manama, Bahrain
Nermin Kamal Saeed, Department of Medical Microbiology Section, Pathology Department, Salmaniya Medical Complex, Ministry of Health, Kingdom of Bahrain, Manama 12, Manama, Bahrain
Nermin Kamal Saeed, Department of Microbiology Section, Pathology Department, Irish Royal College of Surgeon, Busiateen 15503, Muharraq, Bahrain
Adel Salah Bediwy, Department of Chest Disease, Faculty of Medicine, Tanta University, Tanta 31527, Alghrabia, Egypt
Adel Salah Bediwy, Department of Pulmonology, University Medical Center, King Abdulla Medical City, Arabian Gulf University, Manama 26671, Manama, Bahrain
Adel Salah Bediwy, Department of Pulmonology, University Medical Center, King Abdulla Medical City, Arabian Gulf University, Dr. Sulaiman Al-Habib Medical Group, Manama 26671, Manama, Bahrain
Rawan Alhawamdeh, Research and Development Department, Pediatric Occupational Therapist and Neuropsychologist, Genomics Development and Play Center (Genomisc WLL), 0000, Manama, Bahrain
Rawan Alhawamdeh, Research and Development Department, Pediatric Occupational Therapist and Neuropsychologist, Sensory Middle East (SENSORYME DWC-LLC), 282228 Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Samara Qaraghuli, Department of Pharmacognosy and Medicinal Plants, Faculty of Pharmacy, Al-Mustansiriya University, Baghdad 14022, Baghdad, Iraq
Author contributions: Al-Biltagi M, Saeed NK, Bediwy AS, Alhawamdeh R, and Qaraghuli S contributed equally to this work. They collected the data and wrote and revised the manuscript.
Conflict-of-interest statement: The authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest.
Open-Access: This article is an open-access article that was selected by an in-house editor and fully peer-reviewed by external reviewers. It is distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution NonCommercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited and the use is non-commercial. See: https://creativecommons.org/Licenses/by-nc/4.0/
Corresponding author: Mohammed Al-Beltagi, MBChB, MD, MSc, PhD, Chairman, Professor, Department of Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine, Tanta University, AlBahr street, Tanta 31527, Alghrabia, Egypt. mbelrem@hotmail.com
Received: April 20, 2022
Peer-review started: April 20, 2022
First decision: May 12, 2022
Revised: May 12, 2022
Accepted: October 4, 2022
Article in press: October 4, 2022
Published online: November 25, 2022
Processing time: 217 Days and 3.5 Hours
Abstract

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic affects all countries and populations worldwide, significantly impacting people with autism with a high risk of morbidity and mortality due to COVID-19. Approximately 25% of children with autism have an asymptomatic or symptomatic immune deficiency or dysfunction. In addition, they frequently have various comorbid conditions that increase the severity of COVID-19. In addition, severe COVID-19 during pregnancy may increase the risk of autism in the offspring. Furthermore, severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 could target human nervous system tissues due to its neurotrophic effects. The COVID-19 pandemic intensely impacts many patients and families in the autism community, especially the complex management of autism-associated disorders during the complete lockdown. During the complete lockdown, children with autism had difficulties coping with the change in their routine, lack of access to special education services, limited physical space available, and problems related to food and sleep. Additionally, children with autism or intellectual disabilities are more liable to be abused by others during the pandemic when the standard community supports are no longer functioning to protect them. Early detection and vaccination of children with autism against COVID-19 are highly indicated. They should be prioritized for testing, vaccination, and proper management of COVID-19 and other infectious diseases. In this review, we discuss the various effects of COVID-19 on children with autism, the difficulties they face, the increased risk of infection during pregnancy, how to alleviate the impact of COVID-19, and how to correct the inequalities in children with autism.

Keywords: Autism; ASD; Autism Spectrum Disorder; Children; COVID-19; Testing; Vaccination; Neurotropism; SARS-CoV-2

Core Tip: The pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has dramatically impacted children with special needs. Besides the COVID-19-related high morbidity and mortality, other changes associated with the pandemic negatively impacted the educational and health-related issues of children with autism. The lockdown adversely affected sensory-motor development, cognitive abilities, sleep, morale, behavior, and social interactions in a large proportion that may reach 50% of children with special needs. Children with autism should be prioritized for testing and proper management of COVID-19 and other infectious diseases.