Long COVID Rare in Children: Study

While long COVID cases keep popping up, a new study reports the condition is relatively rare in children. Interestingly, the rates of long COVID among children rose slightly after one year to 0.67 percent of those who had been admitted to the pediatric emergency department with COVID 19. Among symptomatic children who had tested negative for COVID 19, 0.16 percent still had symptoms after one year.

The children’s quality of life between the six month and one year interval did not change, the research team noted, adding that the most common symptom reported in children with long COVID and still tested positive at one year included recurrent respiratory congestion. To determine the rates of long COVID among children, the research team, led by Frederick Dun Dery of the Cumming School of Medicine at the University of Calgary, looked at data from 14 pediatric emergency departments in Canada.

The data included check in points on the children at 90 days, six months, and one year after diagnosis. In all, 1,152 children with positive COVID tests and 3,995 children with negative tests were included in the six month follow up study. For the one year follow up, 1,192 children with positive COVID tests and 4,371 children with negative tests were included.

While signs and symptoms of long COVID vary, fatigue is typically the most prevalent or first sign. This can manifest in a child’s inability to maintain daily routines, such as schoolwork or extracurricular activities. “Children who used to be actively engaged in sports may now be barely able to make it down the street before having to take a break,” Dr.

Carlos Oliveira, a specialist in pediatric infectious diseases at Yale School of Medicine, told United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) in June 2023. The two most important lifestyle factors, the research team found, were getting enough sleep and maintaining a healthy weight. Sleep deprivation can hamper the body’s immune system, leading to chronic inflammation and an increased risk for infectious and inflammatory conditions.

Most adults need at least seven hours of sleep each night, while school age children need at least nine hours. Teenagers should get between eight and 10 hours of sleep each night. Additionally, researchers have found that obesity can increase the risk of COVID symptoms and is a risk factor for long COVID.

Regular exercise and a healthy diet full of whole foods can help you maintain a healthy metabolism and improve overall health..