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Largest study to date finds long COVID-19 in kids 14 and under

By Nicholas Gerbis
Published: Thursday, June 23, 2022 - 8:00am
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Children can get long COVID-19, too.

But research on the topic remains spotty, consisting mainly of small studies that exclude the youngest children and lack laboratory test results and control groups.

A new paper in the Lancet Child & Adolescent Health details the largest study to date.

Children ages 14 and younger who've had coronavirus face significantly higher odds of long COVID-19 than non-infected kids.

That's according to a Denmark survey sent to the mothers of 11,000 children with prior confirmed cases and a control group of 33,000 without.

The most common symptoms — mood swings, rashes, stomach aches and trouble remembering or concentrating — can occur with other illnesses, but COVID-19 children experienced them for far longer.

The authors say the findings should guide clinical recognition, caregiving strategies and societal decisions such as lockdowns and vaccinations.

Coronavirus Science Health + Medicine