Pediatric Populations Less Likely to Get Long COVID
THURSDAY, Aug. 18, 2022 (HealthDay News) -- Children and adolescents are less likely to experience persistent COVID-19 symptoms than adults, according to a study published online Aug. 1 in the Pediatric Infectious Disease Journal.
Sarah E. Messiah, Ph.D., M.P.H., from The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, and colleagues examined the presence of persistent COVID-19 symptoms in children by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) antibody status.
The researchers found that 4.5 percent of the total sample (1,813) reported persistent COVID-19 symptoms (27 at four to 12 weeks and 58 at >12 weeks), with 8.0 percent infected pre-delta variant and 3.4 percent in the delta period and beyond. When compared with adults, pediatric age groups had a lower risk for persistent COVID-19 symptoms regardless of length of symptoms reported. Severe symptoms with initial infection, not being vaccinated, and having an unhealthy weight (body mass index ≥85th percentile for age and sex) were associated with an increased risk for persistent COVID-19 symptoms >12 weeks.
"There may be a perception that one needs to be hospitalized to have long COVID, and that is not what we found," Messiah said in a statement. "I encourage parents to still take caution and get their child vaccinated against COVID-19, because we now know that it will decrease the risk of infection and long COVID."
Related Posts
Just 8% of Americans Lack Health Insurance, a Record Low
WEDNESDAY, Aug. 3, 2022 (HealthDay News) -- The number of Americans without...
Los CDC harán pruebas de polio en las aguas residuales de nuevas áreas
JUEVES, 1 de diciembre de 2022 (HealthDay News) -- Las autoridades de salud de...
Two Bird Flu Cases in Cambodia Did Not Spread Person to Person
THURSDAY, March 2, 2023 (HealthDay News) -- Two cases of bird flu in Cambodia,...
When Cities Get a Pro Sports Team, Flu Deaths Rise
TUESDAY, Aug. 8, 2023 (HealthDay News) -- Bringing a professional sports team to...