Risk factors for long-COVID in children

Older children and those with allergies could be more at risk of developing long-COVID, according to a new study.

The research, published in the European Respiratory Journal, looked at children who had stayed in hospital with COVID-19 to see how well they recovered and whether a particular group was more likely to develop long-COVID.

What did the study look at?

518 children admitted to a hospital in Moscow, Russia, between April and August 2020, were included in the study. All children returned home, and their parents completed a survey and a telephone interview about the child’s symptoms in January and February 2021.

What do the results show?

Results showed that 126 children, almost 1 in 4, still had symptoms roughly 8 months after they left hospital. The most common symptoms were fatigue (tiredness), disturbed sleep and sensory problems.

The findings suggested that older children (aged 12-18 years) were more likely to experience ongoing symptoms, as well as those children with a history of allergies.

Why is this important?

Although a lot of symptoms eased over time, some of the children, almost 1 in 4, were still experiencing problems up to 8 months after they left hospital. 1 in 10 of these children experienced more than one ongoing symptom. The findings are a useful insight into how long-COVID can affect children long-term and can help to inform future work on the topic to understand more about the condition.

Title: Risk factors for long covid in previously hospitalised children using the ISARIC Global follow-up protocol: A prospective cohort study

https://erj.ersjournals.com/content/early/2021/06/10/13993003.01341-2021