1.3 Percent of Children, 6.9 Percent of Adults Ever Had Long COVID

TUESDAY, Sept. 26, 2023 (HealthDay News) -- In 2022, 1.3 percent of children and 6.9 percent of adults had ever had long COVID, according to two September data briefs published by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention National Center for Health Statistics.

Anjel Vahratian, Ph.D., M.P.H., from the National Center for Health Statistics in Hyattsville, Maryland, and colleagues used data from the 2022 National Health Interview Survey to examine the percentage of children ages 0 to 17 years who ever had or currently had long COVID. The researchers found that 1.3 percent of children ever had long COVID and 0.5 percent had long COVID at the time of interview. Girls were more likely to have ever had long COVID than boys (1.6 versus 0.9 percent). Children aged 12 to 17 years were more likely to ever or currently have long COVID compared with those aged 0 to 5 and 6 to 11 years. Compared with Asian and Black non-Hispanic children, Hispanic children were more likely to ever have long COVID (1.9 percent versus 0.2 and 0.6 percent, respectively).

Dzifa Adjaye-Gbewonyo, Ph.D., M.P.H., also from the National Center for Health Statistics, and colleagues describe the percentage of adults who ever had or currently had long COVID. The researchers found that 6.9 and 3.4 percent of adults, respectively, ever had and currently had long COVID at the time of interview, with women more likely to have ever had or currently have long COVID. Those aged 35 to 49 years were most likely to ever have or currently have long COVID (8.9 and 4.7 percent, respectively).

"Prevalence estimates were lower among Asian adults compared with other racial and ethnic groups, and adults with family incomes of 400 percent or more of the federal poverty level," Adjaye-Gbewonyo and colleagues write.

Abstract/Full Text - Vahratian

Abstract/Full Text - Adjaye-Gbewonyo