The study, published in The Lancet Child & Adolescent Health magazine on Wednesday, included 44,000 children in Denmark between the ages of zero and 14. Of the children, 11,000 tested positive for Covid-19 between January 2020 and July 2021.
Although the symptoms associated with a long Covid are general illnesses that children may experience even without Covid (headaches, mood swings, stomach problems, and fatigue), the children in the study who had given Covid-positive individuals were more likely to experience at least one symptom for two months or more than children who never tested positive for Covid.
The study also found that one-third of children who tested positive for Covid tested at least one long-term symptom that was not present before testing positive.
The most common symptoms varied with age. For children up to 3 years old, it was mood swings, rashes and stomach aches. Children ages 4 to 11 also experienced memory and concentration problems. For young people aged 12 to 14, it was a matter of memory and concentration problems, mood swings and fatigue.
Children 3 years of age and younger appeared to have more problems compared to undiagnosed children of Covid-19: 40% experienced symptoms two months after giving a positive compared to 27% of the group who did not have Covid.
“Our findings align with previous studies of Covid and long-term adolescents that show that while the chances of children having a long Covid are low, especially compared to the control group and control group, it should be acknowledged and take it seriously, “said study co-author Selina Kikkenborg Berg. , professor of cardiology at Rigshospitalet in Copenhagen, Denmark.
It is not yet clear how many children have Covid for a long time and for how long, because there is not enough research on this in this age group, some experts say. A 2021 study suggested that more than half of children between the ages of 6 and 16 had at least one symptom that lasted more than four months. In adults, some research puts the number at around 30% of cases.
There is no specific test for long Covid. It is unclear which children will have it, as it can happen even when a child has a mild case of Covid-19.
In addition to showing scientists the characteristics of long Covid in children, the study also showed that even children who did not have Covid felt the impact of the pandemic. This group reported a few more psychological and social problems than the children who had Covid.
Dr Michael Absoud, a pediatric neurodevelopmental specialist who did not work in the study, told the Science Media Center in the UK that he found this fact intriguing.
“The most striking finding of this study is the higher quality of life and lower anxiety scores in older children who tested positive for Covid-19. This provides further confirmation that, although, Fortunately, children are resistant to the direct impacts of Covid, have been significantly affected by the indirect impacts of the pandemic (school closures, repeated quarantines, and reduced therapies) and anxiety-inducing media messages. that society has underestimated the long-term impact of disrupting the pandemic rather than the virus in all children, and the urgent need to restore health and welfare services, “Absoud said.
“However, it is still important to identify the small proportion of children who take longer to recover from COVID, while supporting all children with persistent symptoms, regardless of the cause,” he added.
Dr. Amy Edwards, a pediatric infectious disease specialist who runs Covid’s long clinic at UH Rainbow Babies and Children’s Hospital in Cleveland, did not work on the study, but said the work was important because it is more evidence. that some children develop long Covid. .
He said he still regularly finds people who don’t think there is such a thing.
“There is a debate in both the medical world and society about whether all these children are complaining of headaches and anxiety and stomach aches and pains about whether this is Covid or the stress of the pandemic. Yes, The pandemic affected the children in a negative way, but then you put Covid on top, and you see there’s something really going on here, “Edwards said.
Recognizing that long Covid can be a problem can encourage more parents to vaccinate their children so that they do not have Covid for a long time in the first place. Studies like this can also encourage parents to be alert to symptoms so that they can get help from their child if they need it.
“Clearly this is not an isolated phenomenon. It is appearing in studies in more than one country. It is happening in more children than we may have initially thought,” Edwards said. “We’re talking about a small number of children when you think about how many cases of Covid there have been. So it only matters to keep spreading.”