New Studies Contradict Initial Research, Indicate Children Can Be Affected by Long COVID

October 21, 2024

Updated: October 21, 2024

SALT LAKE⁢ CITY —‍ An increasing body of evidence suggests that while children⁤ may not experience severe acute illness from COVID-19, the after-effects ‍of even mild cases are affecting millions of children and teenagers.

Recent studies published in JAMA ⁤indicate that between 10% and 20% of pediatric infections — encompassing both asymptomatic and severe cases — result ‌in long COVID symptoms. This could potentially affect up to 6 million children in the U.S. alone. The research ⁤also suggests that the risk of long COVID increases with repeated infections, and symptoms can persist for⁢ three years or more.

These long-term effects, which can ⁢manifest just weeks or months after a COVID-19 infection, can “affect‌ every organ system,” according to a study of adolescents recently published in JAMA.

Another study ‍published this month found that children who had⁢ COVID-19 were‍ at a significantly higher risk of developing Type 2 diabetes within six ‍months of having COVID, compared to their peers who had other‌ respiratory illnesses. This finding was published in JAMA Network Open.

Dr. Kirti Sivakoti, an‍ assistant professor of pediatrics at‌ University of ⁣Utah Health and associate director of the Pediatric Autonomic Unexplained Symptoms Evidence-Based Program at Intermountain Primary Children’s Hospital, explained⁤ to the Deseret News that symptoms must persist for at least three months to be classified as long‌ COVID. These symptoms can be‌ physical, cognitive, and mental, ‍and can include dizziness, headaches, brain fog, extreme fatigue, and various types of pain.

Dr. Sivakoti also ⁣noted that there are ⁣many similarities between long ‍COVID and postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS), a condition that affects the autonomic nervous system and can cause a range of symptoms including lightheadedness, fainting, palpitations, fatigue, headaches, nausea, sleep ⁣disturbance, and more.

In⁤ children, long COVID can often manifest as increased school absenteeism and a decline in academic performance, she said.

The factors that make‌ some young people more susceptible‍ to long COVID than others‌ remain unclear, but Dr. Sivakoti suggested that external, ⁤behavioral, environmental, and genetic ⁣factors ⁢may all play a role.

False sense of security

Blake Murdoch, a health policy expert, bioethicist, lawyer, and science communicator at the⁣ University of‍ Alberta’s Health ⁣Law Institute, recently penned an essay in Scientific American. He highlighted the misunderstanding and underestimation of COVID-19’s impact on children, noting⁢ that ⁣this misconception was partly fueled by scientists. He referred to a 2023 study published in the American Medical Association’s⁢ pediatrics⁣ journal —‍ which has⁢ since been⁤ retracted — that‍ reported the rate of‌ long COVID symptoms in children as being ‘strikingly ⁣low’ ⁤at only 0.4%. This study was⁢ widely publicized and contributed to a false sense of security, leading⁣ to children⁣ being repeatedly exposed to COVID-19 in poorly ventilated schools, and‍ parents underestimating the potential⁣ harm.

Studies add ⁢to ⁤list of health woes

More and more research is linking COVID-19 infection in children to ‍long-term health issues.

A study ⁢conducted by⁢ researchers at Rutgers University and the National Institutes of Health, published in JAMA,⁣ found that long COVID⁣ symptoms in children are “tangible, pervasive, wide-ranging and clinically distinct within specific age groups,”‍ as noted in a Rutgers press release.

“We‍ have convincing evidence that ⁢COVID-19⁣ is not just a mild,⁣ benign illness⁤ for children,” said Lawrence‍ C. Kleinman, a professor of pediatrics and population health expert at Rutgers’ Robert Wood Johnson Medical School and ⁢one of the study’s co-authors. ‌”There are children who are clearly disabled by long COVID for extended periods.”

The study ⁣involved 140 researchers across the U.S. and nearly 5,400 children and adolescents. Of these, about 86% had been infected with COVID-19. The study examined 74 known symptoms across nine domains: eyes, ears,‌ nose and‌ throat, heart and lungs, gastrointestinal,⁢ dermatologic, musculoskeletal, neurologic, ‌behavioral and psychological, and general, according to Rutgers.

Forty-five percent of infected children‍ aged 6-11 ⁢reported having one or more prolonged ⁢symptoms after recovering from the active infection. Similarly, 39% of adolescents aged 12 to 17 who had been infected with COVID reported prolonged symptoms — both figures significantly higher than in children who had not been infected. The study found that the most common symptoms for adolescents were loss of taste and smell, followed by low energy, muscle aches, and fatigue.‌ In⁣ the⁢ younger ‌group, memory and focus issues were most common, followed by stomach pain, headaches, and ⁢back or neck pain.

Questions have been raised about how researchers can be sure that these symptoms are ⁣a ⁤lingering effect of COVID, and‍ not due‌ to other conditions. A recent study in the journal eClinicalMedicine made ⁢a concerted effort to rule out other causes through detailed medical evaluations and by “carefully excluding other potential causes of symptoms such as glycemia, ⁤anemia, ‍and‌ other infections,” to ensure that the symptoms could ⁢be attributed to COVID, as reported by Medical⁢ and Life Science News.

The study also found that COVID infection increased the risk of developing autoimmune disorders, including Hashimoto thyroiditis and celiac disease.

Read more ⁤at Deseret News.