The Hong Kong Polytechnic University yesterday (23rd) announced preliminary research findings, revealing that 40% of adult COVID-19 patients continue to experience "long COVID" symptoms of fatigue syndrome one year after diagnosis. Among these, women are 20% more likely to develop symptoms than men. The study surveyed COVID-19 patients aged 23 to 88. However, with a large number of children infected during the fifth wave of the pandemic, what are the circumstances and severity of "long COVID" in children?
UK and Israel: Over one in ten children still show symptoms after recovery
Researchers from University College London (UCL) and Public Health England published a study last September which found that, among 3,065 local adolescents aged 11 to 17 who contracted the virus between January and March 2021,more than 14% were still experiencing three or more symptoms, including unusual tiredness and headaches, 15 weeks after their diagnosis.
Researchers further stated that the data could infer that among the 234,000 adolescents aged 11 to 17 infected between September 2020 and March 2021, approximately 32,000 may have experienced at least three long COVID symptoms 15 weeks after diagnosis, and over 16,000 experienced five or more long COVID symptoms 15 weeks after diagnosis.
In addition, last June, the Israeli Ministry of Health conducted a telephone survey of 13,834 parents whose children, aged between 3 and 18, had previously contracted the virus and had recovered.The findings revealed that 11.2% of the children and adolescents continued to experience symptoms such as respiratory problems, drowsiness and abnormalities in taste and smell after recovery; between 1.8% and 4.6% of the children still had symptoms six months later; and, generally speaking,the older the child, the more severe the symptoms tended to be.
The number of children experiencing "long COVID" after recovery is increasing.
During the Omicron outbreak, the number of confirmed cases in children worldwide saw a sharp increase. Although children generally recover quickly, some experts have stated that even asymptomatic or mildly symptomatic children may experience long-term COVID symptoms. Data released earlier by the UK's Office for National Statistics (ONS) found that the number of children under 16 self-reporting 'long COVID' symptoms rose from 77,000 in October 2021 to 119,000 in January 2022.
In light of this, the UK recently announced the first standardised definition of 'long COVID', stating that these symptoms persist for at least 12 weeks after diagnosis and may affect a child's physical, psychological, or daily social activities. COVID symptoms include discomfort in the upper respiratory tract such as ears, nose, and throat, chest pain, red marks or rashes appearing on the skin, abdominal pain and diarrhoea, dizziness, and headaches.
The London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, the UK Health Security Agency and the Office for National Statistics conducted a questionnaire survey of 3,375 parents and 2,045 primary and secondary school pupils late last year,and found that among 20 per cent of primary school pupils who had tested positive for COVID-19, 1% pupils experienced long-COVID symptoms lasting at least 12 weeks; of these, 47.5% experienced at least one recurring symptom, whilst 26% experienced three or more symptoms.Additionally, 2.7% of secondary school pupils who had tested positive for COVID-19 exhibited long COVID symptoms; of these, 57.6% of pupils aged 11 to 16 experienced at least one symptom,whilst 32.5% of the 11- to 16-year-olds experienced at least three symptoms. The majority reported dizziness, headaches, emotional distress, fever or fatigue, as well as upper respiratory tract discomfort.
Paediatricians at Yale New Haven Children’s Hospital in Connecticut, USA, have also stated that the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in children in the area has risen, and that the number of children and adolescents with long COVID admitted to the hospital in January this year was more than three times higher than in the preceding summer.
US launches 3-year study into Long COVID in children
The causes of long Covid in children are not yet known, but some foreign experts believe that as countries around the worldChild vaccinationThe proportion may change due to an increase in the number of people affected by long Covid. Last November, the National Institutes of Health [NIH] launched a research project, a three-year follow-up plan for at least 1,000 children and adolescents aged 3 to 21 who had previously confirmed cases, to assess the impact of Covid-19 on their physical and psychological conditions.
Note two symptoms, check if child will have lung sequelae
During the fifth wave of the epidemic in Hong Kong, tens of thousands of children were diagnosed. There is currently no research data on long COVID or other sequelae. One mother posted on social media that her child, who was just over a year old, was diagnosed with COVID-19 and a subsequent lung scan showed "lung mottling," raising concerns about developing pneumonia or long-term effects. In response, paediatrician Dr. Chan Yan-wing stated that diagnosing pneumonia is not solely based on observing lung mottling, but also requires clinical diagnosis, the location and severity of the mottling, and cannot be generalised. If a patient develops pneumonia caused by the coronavirus, and their condition is severe and prolonged, recovery will also take longer. Some patients, even after recovery, may experience shortness of breath, wheezing, or chest pain during exercise. If children exhibit these symptoms after recovering from pneumonia, parents should take them for tests to check for any other health issues.
The extent of lung damage will recover as pneumonia improves, but if pneumonia has caused damage to the lungs, exercise may still be affected three months after recovery, leading to shortness of breath and wheezing, requiring more time to heal. Dr. Chan reminds parents that upper respiratory tract infections in children rarely affect the lungs, so there is no need to worry about lung damage. However, if children experience shortness of breath or wheezing, parents should pay attention and consult a doctor or seek medical attention.
Dr Chan indicated that some "long COVID" sufferers may experience psychological or cognitive issues, such as emotional distress, insomnia, or "brain fog" symptoms like difficulty concentrating and mental fatigue. He stated that these patients may require long-term monitoring, and if these symptoms severely affect their work or daily life, they might need treatments or support such as medication or psychological counselling.
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