Terence Stephenson1, Roz Shafran1, Shamez N Ladhani2. 1. UCL Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health. 2. Paediatric Infectious Diseases Research Group, St. George's University of London, London, UK.
Abstract
PURPOSE OF REVIEW: Although acute COVID-19 has been milder in children and young people compared with adults, there is a concern that they may suffer persistent symptoms. There is a need to define the clinical phenotype, determine those most at risk, the natural course of the condition and evaluate preventive and therapeutic strategies for both mental health and physical symptoms. RECENT FINDINGS: More recent studies with control groups reported a lower prevalence of persistent symptoms in children and young people exposed to SARS-CoV-2. A systematic review and meta-analysis found that the frequency of the majority of reported persistent symptoms is similar in SARS-CoV-2 positive cases and controls. Children and young people infected with SARS-COV-2 had small but significant increases in persisting cognitive difficulties, headache and loss of smell. Factors associated with persisting, impairing symptoms include increased number of symptoms at the time of testing, female sex, older age, worse self-rated physical and mental health, and feelings of loneliness preinfection. SUMMARY: This review highlights the importance of a control group in studies following SARS-CoV-2 infection, the need for case definitions and research to understand the outcomes of long COVID in children and young people.
PURPOSE OF REVIEW: Although acute COVID-19 has been milder in children and young people compared with adults, there is a concern that they may suffer persistent symptoms. There is a need to define the clinical phenotype, determine those most at risk, the natural course of the condition and evaluate preventive and therapeutic strategies for both mental health and physical symptoms. RECENT FINDINGS: More recent studies with control groups reported a lower prevalence of persistent symptoms in children and young people exposed to SARS-CoV-2. A systematic review and meta-analysis found that the frequency of the majority of reported persistent symptoms is similar in SARS-CoV-2 positive cases and controls. Children and young people infected with SARS-COV-2 had small but significant increases in persisting cognitive difficulties, headache and loss of smell. Factors associated with persisting, impairing symptoms include increased number of symptoms at the time of testing, female sex, older age, worse self-rated physical and mental health, and feelings of loneliness preinfection. SUMMARY: This review highlights the importance of a control group in studies following SARS-CoV-2 infection, the need for case definitions and research to understand the outcomes of long COVID in children and young people.
Authors: Sarah Esther Chang; Allan Feng; Wenzhao Meng; Sokratis A Apostolidis; Elisabeth Mack; Maja Artandi; Linda Barman; Kate Bennett; Saborni Chakraborty; Iris Chang; Peggie Cheung; Sharon Chinthrajah; Shaurya Dhingra; Evan Do; Amanda Finck; Andrew Gaano; Reinhard Geßner; Heather M Giannini; Joyce Gonzalez; Sarah Greib; Margrit Gündisch; Alex Ren Hsu; Alex Kuo; Monali Manohar; Rong Mao; Indira Neeli; Andreas Neubauer; Oluwatosin Oniyide; Abigail E Powell; Rajan Puri; Harald Renz; Jeffrey Schapiro; Payton A Weidenbacher; Richard Wittman; Neera Ahuja; Ho-Ryun Chung; Prasanna Jagannathan; Judith A James; Peter S Kim; Nuala J Meyer; Kari C Nadeau; Marko Radic; William H Robinson; Upinder Singh; Taia T Wang; E John Wherry; Chrysanthi Skevaki; Eline T Luning Prak; Paul J Utz Journal: Nat Commun Date: 2021-09-14 Impact factor: 17.694