Scientists and doctors have been aware of long COVID since the first year of the pandemic, but fully getting to grips with the condition has been a long and ongoing process.
A new study led by researchers at the NYU Grossman School of Medicine is adding more to the picture by examining what long COVID symptoms can look like in some of the youngest patients.
There were some limitations to the analysis, which the study authors note.
It’s also possible that some of the supposed long COVID symptoms may have followed infection with a different virus, and caregivers may also have misremembered or misinterpreted some of the children’s symptoms.
At least in adults, the latest evidence points to a protective role of vaccination against the risk of long COVID.
Since the first year of the pandemic, scientists and medical professionals have been aware of long COVID, but it has taken a while and continued effort to fully understand the illness. The dilemma of previously healthy adults experiencing long-lasting symptoms like exhaustion, mental haze, and dyspnea following an apparently mild dose of COVID was the first. The next question was whether our kids were also at risk, and once it was established that they were, research into the best ways to support them could start.
Researchers from the NYU Grossman School of Medicine are contributing to the picture with a new study that looks at how long COVID symptoms can last in some of the youngest patients.
539 children ages 3-5 and 472 children under 2 were included in the study. This is the first study of its kind in these age groups, according to the authors.
Of the 278 toddlers whose parents reported that they had COVID-19, 41 percent experienced at least one persistent symptom. In the preschool group, 45 percent of the 399 children had a persistent symptom, which was a similar percentage.
The younger kids were more likely to have coughing, a stuffy nose, poor appetite, increased fussiness, and trouble sleeping. The older children, on the other hand, typically exhibited low energy or daytime sleepiness along with a dry cough. The authors state that “symptom patterns were distinguishable across infants/toddlers and preschool-aged children, as well from previously studied older children and adults.”.
The authors of the study point out that the analysis had certain limitations. The inability to use an antibody test to confirm a prior SARS-CoV-2 infection in the entire cohort may have led to some of the children being incorrectly classified. Additionally, it’s possible that some of the children’s symptoms were misremembered or misinterpreted by caregivers, and that some of the alleged prolonged COVID symptoms may have followed infection with another virus.
However, the authors state that “groups with and without infection demonstrated clear differences despite potential for misclassification.”. “.”.
Three of the study’s authors state on a patient information page in the same journal that nearly 6 million children in the US may be impacted by long-term COVID, which is more than the number of children who have asthma.
According to their research findings and prior data, they demonstrate how children and young people with long-term COVID can be divided into four major groups: 0–2 years, 3-5 years, 6–11 years, and 12–17 years. Each of these groups has slightly different symptom profiles that parents and caregivers should be aware of.
According to their conclusion in the paper, “these findings support the concept that a one-size-fits-all approach to screening for [long COVID] across the lifespan is not possible and will likely need to be tailored for specific age groups.”.
Following suggested modifications to the Food and Drug Administration’s future strategy for COVID vaccination, this study was conducted. In the role of Katherine J. According to a recent article by Wu for The Atlantic, the agency’s declining support for booster shots for people without underlying medical conditions or other risk factors may essentially mean that “COVID shots for kids are over.”. “.”.
As of right now, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention continue to recommend that all Americans aged 6 months and older receive a current COVID vaccination. Altering that could result in a generation of kids entering kindergarten and school without any defenses against a virus that is still very much in circulation.
The most recent research suggests that vaccination prevents the risk of long-term COVID, at least in adults. It cannot completely eliminate the risk, and there hasn’t been much research done on kids in particular. Nevertheless, some people will undoubtedly be concerned about the idea of taking away this line of defense for the country’s children.
The effects might not become apparent for years, as has been the case with other recent decisions made by this administration.
