Do kids get long COVID? What new research suggests

A Danish study of children up to 14 years of age found that those infected with SARS-CoV-2 were more likely to develop symptoms at least two months later – a condition known as “long COVID” – but the risk appears to be only marginally greater than in their uninfected peers.

The study, published in The Lancet Child & Adolescent Health, examined the duration of long COVID symptoms and quality-of-life scores in 10,997 infected children and 33,010 uninfected controls whose parents or guardians completed surveys between July 20, 2021, and September 15, 2021.

It’s important to note that the children in the study tested positive for COVID-19 before the Delta variant and the highly transmissible Omicron variant.

Long COVID risk

The study was conducted by researchers from the University of Copenhagen and the University of Southern Denmark by sending questionnaires to mothers or guardians of newborns to 14-year-old children who tested positive for COVID-19 between January 2020 and July 2021.

The surveys asked about the 23 most common symptoms of long COVID in children defined by the World Health Organization.

In children aged 0 to 3 years, the most commonly reported symptoms were mood swings, rashes, and stomachaches. 

Children aged 4 to 11 reported mood swings, difficulty remembering or concentrating, and rashes more frequently than any other symptoms.

Those aged 12 to 14 reported fatigue, mood swings, and difficulty remembering or concentrating.

However, children with COVID-19 had fewer psychological and social problems than other children who had not contracted COVID-19. Children with COVID in older age groups often felt less scared, had less trouble sleeping, and were less concerned about the future.

Children with COVID-19 also had higher PedsQL emotional function quality-of-life scores. 

Findings deemed reassuring

“Our findings are consistent with previous studies of long COVID in adolescents, demonstrating that the chances of children experiencing long COVID are low, especially,” said study author Selina Kikkenborg Berg. 

However, in a related commentary, Maren Johanne Heilskov Rytter of the University of Copenhagen, who was not involved in the study, said the data may not apply to the current COVID situation.

“The children who were surveyed were infected with a different strain of SARS-CoV-2 than is currently dominant, and newer strains appear to cause less severe symptoms,” said Rytter. 

“Furthermore, because the majority of children have immunity from the previous infection, they may have milder symptoms if infected with SARS-CoV-2 again, limiting the findings’ future generalisability.”