First cases of new coronaviral infection were reported in Wuhan, Hubei Province, China in December 2019. The infection had caused the death of more than 100,000 people worldwide by the beginning of April 2020. This review analysed the characteristics of the infection course in adults and children, as well as capabilities of diagnostics, treatment and prevention of COVID-19. It is possible to allocate groups of high risk of development of severe forms of disease (elderly people, people with latent tuberculosis infection, adult patients with severe comorbidity) according to the published data. Currently there is limited epidemiological data on the prevalence, morbidity and mortality of COVID-19 in the child population. However, it is already possible to conclude that 90% of cases in children population have mild, moderate and asymptomatic course of the disease. Treatment of patients with COVID-19 is limited due to the lack of means for etiotropic therapy and the possibility of using of only symptomatic therapy. There are no vaccines for COVID-19 prevention. © 2020 Publishing House of the Union of Pediatricians. All rights reserved.