New Delhi, May 29 Amid another global wave of Covid-19 disease, a new study showed that about 15 per cent of babies and toddlers are facing long-Covid conditions and that their symptoms can vary based on age.
Long Covid in kids can be defined as prolonged symptoms that last for at least three months after a SARS-CoV-2 infection.
The study, published in the JAMA Pediatrics, is based on 472 infants and toddlers, and 539 preschool-aged children enrolled from March 2022 to July 2024, found that about 15 per cent of kids had long Covid.
About 40 of 278 infants aged 2 years and under (14 per cent) had persistent symptoms, while 61 of 399 children aged 3 to 5 years (15 per cent) had the symptoms.
Further, the study showed that babies and toddlers experience different long-Covid symptoms than preschoolers ages 3 to 5 years.
Infants and toddlers (younger than 2 years old) were more likely to experience trouble sleeping, fussiness, poor appetite, stuffy nose, and cough.
Preschool-aged children (3 to 5 years old) were more likely to have a dry cough and daytime tiredness/low energy. In total, 74 per cent of preschoolers with probable long Covid reported a dry cough.
These symptoms differ greatly from those commonly seen in older kids and teens who have long Covid. The study found that school-aged children are more likely to have neurologic symptoms, such as trouble focusing, trouble sleeping, or feeling lightheaded. They may also have back or neck pain, headache, stomach pain, or vomiting. Sometimes, they have behavioral changes.
“This study is important because it shows that long Covid symptoms in young children are different from those in older children and adults,” said Tanayott (Tony) Thaweethai, associate director of Biostatistics Research and Engagement at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH).
Further, the team noted that the varied symptoms may be explained by the fact that symptoms in younger children are reported based on what caregivers can observe rather than what the children themselves are feeling and describing.
"Children with these symptoms often had worse overall health, lower quality of life, and delays in development," Thaweethai said, while calling for more research on the impact of Covid on young children.
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