Long covid in children data

Illness duration and symptom profile in symptomatic UK school-aged children tested for SARS-CoV-2

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Background

Infection is usually asymptomatic or causes a mild illness of short duration

Persistent illness has been reported

To determine illness duration and characteristics in symptomatic UK school-aged children

COVID Symptom Study

Methods

Prospective cohort study

Aged children 5–17 years

Reported by an adult proxy

Illness duration and symptom prevalence, for children testing positive

Data from symptomatic children testing negative for SARS-CoV-2, matched 1:1 for age, gender, and week of testing, were also assessed

Findings, Children aged 5–17

March 24, 2020 to Feb 22, 2021

N = 258,790

Valid test result, n = 75,529 had valid test results for SARS-CoV-2.

Positive test result, n = 1,734 children

(588 younger and 1,146 older children)

And had a calculable illness duration

The most common symptoms

Headache 1,079 (62·2%) of 1734 children

Fatigue 954 (55·0%) of 1734 children)

Median illness duration

Children testing positive, 6 days

Children testing negative, 3 days

Illness duration associated with age

(Spearman's rank-order rs 0·19, p less than 0·0001)

Median illness duration was longer for older children

Older children, 12 to 17 years, 7 days

Younger children, 5 to 11 years, 5 days

Illness duration of at least 28 days

77 (4·4%) of 1,734 children

59 (5·1%) of 1,146 older children

18 (3·1%) of 588 younger children

(p=0·046)

After day 28, median 2 symptoms

First week of illness, median 6 symptoms

Commonest symptoms, first 4 weeks of illness

Fatigue 65 (84·4%) of 77

Headache 60 (77·9%) of 77

Anosmia 60 (77·9%) of 77

Symptoms for at least 56

25 (1·8%) of 1379 children

Interpretation

COVID-19 in children is usually of short duration with low symptom burden

Some children with COVID-19 experience prolonged illness duration

Symptom burden did not increase with time

Most recovered by day 56