Despite COVID-19 rates being back to pre-winter surge levels, which can be credited to almost 300 million doses of coronavirus vaccines being administered, long COVID is still impacting many. The condition does not discriminate and has been found to affect not only adults but children too. 

Evidence shows that although kids and teens may weather the initial diagnosis better than adults, their long-haul symptoms may be worse than adults. The majority often skip the symptoms such as fever, cough, or shortness of breath, according to a study published by Scientific Reports. 

Findings from the Study Include:

• About 19% of pediatric patients had fever, malaise, muscle or joint pain, and loss of smell or taste.
• About 16% had respiratory symptoms.
• About 14% had gastrointestinal problems.
• A few required critical care.

Katie Krol of Detroit, Michigan, explains that her children Rhys, 14, and Emma, 10, have both suffered from long COVID since March 2020. They have experienced tiredness, which has disrupted their progress in school. For example, Rhys will likely have to take summer courses to ensure he can pass the ninth grade, and Emma has suffered a heart rate of 160 beats per minute and a persistent loss of taste. 

To help pediatric patients like Rhys and Emma, pediatric clinics focused on long COVID recovery are beginning to pop up across the country, such as University Hospitals Rainbow Babies and Children’s Hospital in Cleveland.

Currently, long haulers are suffering at home and not getting the care they need at hospitals. With the emergence of pediatric-centered long COVID clinics, this can be remedied.

*David, W. (2021, May 22). Long-Haul Covid Kids Suffer at Home. Bloomberg. 

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/newsletters/2021-05-22/long-haul-covid-kids-suffer-at-home 

Much about the novel coronavirus, i.e., COVID-19, is still not fully understood. As research progresses and our knowledge of the virus increases, information can change rapidly. We strive to update all of our articles as quickly as possible, but there may occasionally be some lag between scientific developments and our revisions.