Biotech Updates

Long COVID Affects Children of All Ages

February 1, 2023

Long COVID occurs in at least 10% of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infections. This figure is according to a review article in Nature Reviews Microbiology. Over 200 symptoms have been found to affect several organ systems. About 65 million patients have been reported to experience long COVID, and the number of cases is continuously increasing.

The review, conducted by researchers from Patient-Led Research Collaborative and Scripps Research Translational Institute, analyzed current literature on long COVID and presented the key findings, the overlap with other conditions, the variable onset of symptoms, the impact in children, and the effect of vaccinations.

One key finding indicates that long COVID impacts children of all ages. The symptoms reported include fatigue, headache, dizziness, dyspnoea, chest pain, dysosmia, dysgeusia, reduced appetite, concentration difficulties, memory issues, mental exhaustion, physical exhaustion, and sleep issues. These symptoms were between 2 and 36 times more likely in individuals with long COVID aged 15–19 years compared with controls of the same age.

Read more in Nature Reviews Microbiology.


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