Post-Covid-19 Symptoms in Children: A Cross-Sectional Survey
Julie Bennett; Mona Jeffreys; Andrew Waa; Jane Zhang; Anna E. S. Brooks; Larisa Hockey; Amanda Kvalsvig; Michael G. Baker
AIM
To assess children's self or parental-rated health following Aotearoa New Zealand's (NZ) first widespread community transmission of SARS-CoV-2 in February 2022.
METHODS
This cross-sectional study recruited participants aged 3–20 years who had consented to be contacted after taking part in the NZ Health Survey. Participants over 15 years or guardians of younger children were surveyed by telephone between November 2022 and April 2023. Ordinal logistic regression was used to estimate the effect of Covid-19 infection on self-reported health.
RESULTS
The study included 4264 children and young adults, with 70.6% reporting having tested positive for Covid-19 at least once (via PCR or RAT test). Almost one-quarter (24.5%) reported more frequent coughs, colds and stomach bugs after Covid-19 infection. One-fifth reported headaches (21.7%), fatigue (20.6%) or stomach aches (14.6%) and 13.1% reported anxiety that was new since having Covid-19. At baseline, there were no significant differences between the self-rated health status of those children who later had Covid-19 and those who did not (p = 0.5274). Following widespread SARS-CoV-2 transmission, those who reported having had Covid-19 were significantly more likely to report a poorer health status than those who did not (p < 0.0001).
CONCLUSIONS
Greater than one-fifth of NZ children reported persisting symptoms after Covid-19 infection. Post-Covid-19 symptoms impacted the quality of children's day-to-day lives. Preventing infection is key to preventing post-Covid-19 symptoms.
SUMMARY
• Long Covid is the continuation or development of new symptoms after an acute Covid-19 infection that cannot be explained by an alternative diagnosis. Research into the long-term impacts of Covid-19 in children and young people is emerging.
• This cross-sectional survey reports that greater than one-fifth of NZ children had ongoing symptoms that they did not have prior to having Covid-19.
• The proportion of children in the survey who reported good or very good health reduced from 82.6% before NZ's two large Omicron waves to 66.9% after these waves, with changes in health significantly more frequent in those who had a Covid-19 infection compared with those who had not.
• Post-Covid-19 symptoms are impacting the quality of children's day-to-day lives.
Link | PDF (Journal of Paediatrics and Child Health) [Open Access]
Julie Bennett; Mona Jeffreys; Andrew Waa; Jane Zhang; Anna E. S. Brooks; Larisa Hockey; Amanda Kvalsvig; Michael G. Baker
AIM
To assess children's self or parental-rated health following Aotearoa New Zealand's (NZ) first widespread community transmission of SARS-CoV-2 in February 2022.
METHODS
This cross-sectional study recruited participants aged 3–20 years who had consented to be contacted after taking part in the NZ Health Survey. Participants over 15 years or guardians of younger children were surveyed by telephone between November 2022 and April 2023. Ordinal logistic regression was used to estimate the effect of Covid-19 infection on self-reported health.
RESULTS
The study included 4264 children and young adults, with 70.6% reporting having tested positive for Covid-19 at least once (via PCR or RAT test). Almost one-quarter (24.5%) reported more frequent coughs, colds and stomach bugs after Covid-19 infection. One-fifth reported headaches (21.7%), fatigue (20.6%) or stomach aches (14.6%) and 13.1% reported anxiety that was new since having Covid-19. At baseline, there were no significant differences between the self-rated health status of those children who later had Covid-19 and those who did not (p = 0.5274). Following widespread SARS-CoV-2 transmission, those who reported having had Covid-19 were significantly more likely to report a poorer health status than those who did not (p < 0.0001).
CONCLUSIONS
Greater than one-fifth of NZ children reported persisting symptoms after Covid-19 infection. Post-Covid-19 symptoms impacted the quality of children's day-to-day lives. Preventing infection is key to preventing post-Covid-19 symptoms.
SUMMARY
• Long Covid is the continuation or development of new symptoms after an acute Covid-19 infection that cannot be explained by an alternative diagnosis. Research into the long-term impacts of Covid-19 in children and young people is emerging.
• This cross-sectional survey reports that greater than one-fifth of NZ children had ongoing symptoms that they did not have prior to having Covid-19.
• The proportion of children in the survey who reported good or very good health reduced from 82.6% before NZ's two large Omicron waves to 66.9% after these waves, with changes in health significantly more frequent in those who had a Covid-19 infection compared with those who had not.
• Post-Covid-19 symptoms are impacting the quality of children's day-to-day lives.
Link | PDF (Journal of Paediatrics and Child Health) [Open Access]
