Clinical Characteristics, Activity Levels and Mental Health Problems in Children with Long COVID: A Survey of 510 Children, 2021, Buonsenso et al

rvallee

rvallee

Senior Member (Voting Rights)
Background
The World Health Organization has recently recognized Long COVID, calling the international medical community to strengthen research and comprehensive care of patients with this condition. However, if Long COVID pertains to children as well is not yet clear.

Methods
An anonymous, online survey was developed by an organization of parents of children suffering from persisting symptoms since initial infection. Parents were asked to report signs and symptoms, physical activity and mental health issues. Only children with symptoms persisting for more than four weeks were included.

Results
510 children were included (56.3% females) infected between January 2020 and January 2021. At their initial COVID-19 infection, 22 (4.3%) children were hospitalized. Overall, children had persisting COVID-19 for a mean of 8.2 months (SD 3.9). Most frequent symptoms were: Tiredness and weakness (444 patients, 87.1% of sample), Fatigue (410, 80.4%), Headache (401, 78.6%), Abdominal pain (387, 75.9%), Muscle and joint pain (309, 60.6%), Post-exertional malaise (274, 53.7%), rash (267, 52.4%). 484 (94.9%) children had had at least four symptoms. 129 (25.3%) children have suffered constant COVID-19 infection symptoms, 252 (49.4%) have had periods of apparent recovery and then symptoms returning, and 97 (19.0%) had a prolonged period of wellness followed by symptoms. Only 51 (10.0%) children have returned to previous levels of physical activity. Parents reported a significant prevalence of Neuropsychiatric symptoms.

Conclusions
Our study provides further evidence on Long COVID in children. Symptoms like fatigue, headache, muscle and joint pain, rashes and heart palpitations, and mental health issues like lack of concentration and short memory problems, were particularly frequent and confirm previous observations, suggesting that they may characterize this condition. A better comprehension of Long COVID is urgently needed.

Pre-print: https://www.preprints.org/manuscript/202103.0271/v1
 
rvallee said:
However, if Long COVID pertains to children as well is not yet clear.
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This kind of question or uncertainty baffles me. I remember being terribly depressed when I was a child/teenager. I even told my parents about it, which was incredibly rare for me, so I must have been feeling really terrible. The response was "Children can't get depressed! What have you got to be depressed about?"
 
rvallee said:
I am noticing a much more equal balance between sexes in recent studies. The imbalance continues to tip higher in women but clearly not at a 4:1 or even 3:1 ratio, something closer to 60:40.
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This study might yet be consistent with ME/CFS. The average age in the study was 10.3 years. And a couple of studies for ME have shown that the gender map imbalance emerges at puberty. It would be interesting to see data for the gender ratio pre-/post-puberty.

Separately, this study found that more women than men were likely to get long Covid (odds ratio 2.9:1, Which would give 75% female patients if men and women were infected equally), Even though men are more likely to get severe Covid:
 
One thing that increases depression and anxiety is being disbelieved about health problems and as a result getting no treatment. I don't know if children are believed more or less often than women. I remember being disbelieved about how ill I felt, or how much pain I was in, as a child and as a teenager, so it seems to be a common issue.
 
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