Long COVID and children: The unseen casualties of COVID-19
Since children appear to be less vulnerable to extreme COVID-19 than adults, those who do develop the disease might not receive as much attention from researchers and the media. Yet many of these children have grown to be “long haulers” who experience symptoms months once they first contracted SARS-CoV-2.
of developing serious COVID-19 - the disease due to SARS-CoV-2 - than adults.
Reports indicate that, in most cases, children who contract the brand new coronavirus develop mild-to-moderate symptomsTrusted Source or remain asymptomatic.
However, in some acute cases, they could develop multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C)Trusted Source or pediatric inflammatory multisystem syndrome (PIMS), as some authorities refer to it.
According to existing data, MIS-C/PIMS may become apparent at 2-6 weeks after a SARS-CoV-2 infection, and some of the symptoms that can accompany it include:
- persistent fever
- gastrointestinal symptoms
- rashes or pink eye (conjunctivitis)
- headaches
Generally of COVID-19 in children, symptoms should typically improve and disappear altogether after a week or two from symptom onset. Yet some children experience ongoing symptoms weeks as well as months after their initial illness - a phenomenon commonly known as “long COVID.”
How do ongoing symptoms of COVID-19 actually impact the day-to-day lives and well-being of the children and adolescents who experience them?
To answer this and many other questions, Medical News Today spoke to the parents of children and teens with long COVID.*
In this Special Feature, we present, at length, the stories of four parents whose children still experience debilitating symptoms. These parents spoke to us about the difficult journey towards securing an accurate diagnosis, and the often fruitless search for formal support.
For an informed medical perspective on long COVID, MNT sought the expertise of Dr. Amanda Morrow, rehabilitation physician, and Dr. Laura Malone, neurologist - both from the Kennedy Krieger Institute, a Johns Hopkins affiliate in Baltimore, MD.
Dr. Morrow is an assistant professor of physical medicine and rehabilitation at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine. Dr. Malone can be an assistant professor of Neurology and Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine.
Drs. Morrow and Malone offered MNT joint comments about long COVID in children.
Source: www.medicalnewstoday.com
