The kids are not alright: A preliminary report of Post-COVID syndrome in university students, 2021, Walsh-Messinger et al

Abstract

Objective
To investigate the prevalence and features of protracted COVID-19 symptoms in non-hospitalized university students who experienced mild-to-moderate acute illness.

Participants
COVID-19 positive participants with symptoms ≥ 28 days (N = 22), herein referred to as post-COVID syndrome, were compared to those who fully recovered (N = 21) and those never diagnosed with the disease (N = 58).

Methods
Students completed online study to earn research credit for class.

Results
51% of COVID-19 positive participants were classified with post-COVID syndrome. During acute illness, those with post-COVID syndrome experienced more chest pain, fatigue, fever, olfactory impairment, headaches, and diarrhea compared to fully recovered participants. They also reported more current exercise intolerance, dyspnea, chest pain, olfactory impairment, lymphadenopathy, gustatory impairment, and appetite loss than students who never contracted COVID-19.

Conclusions
Our results contradict the perception that this yet to be defined post-COVID syndrome predominantly affects middle-aged adults. Student health centers should closely monitor those who contract COVID-19 for lingering effects.

Paywall, https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/07448481.2021.1927053

 

The other issue they're ignoring is that even when the young adult eventually appears to more or less fully recover there is a possibility that they may well be struck down again in their 30s.

Or not.

We know anecdotally that some pwME struck down in their 30s had some infection, possibly glandular fever, in their teens and had a prolonged recovery.

If only an epidemiologist had taken an interest 3 or 4 decades ago.

Oh, wait....