Long term COVID symptoms less likely in school aged children: Study

Only one in 20 or fewer children are likely to have long-lasting symptoms of Covid-19. Most do not remain symptomatic after four weeks. However, data on adults in the UK is different. One in seven adults experienced Covid-19 symptoms for four or more weeks. One in 20 was sick for eight weeks or longer.

The study conducted in children of school-going age observed 1734 kids in the age group of 5-17. In younger children (age group - 5-11 years old), symptoms of Covid-19 lasted for five to seven days. In older children (age group - 12-17), 4.4% experienced symptoms for four weeks and 1.8% of them had symptoms for two months, reported The Guardian.

The most common symptoms in school-going children were headaches, tiredness, sore throat, and loss of smell. Symptoms like fits, seizures, impaired concentration, and difficulty paying attention were not reported in children.

The findings support the move to vaccinate children over 12. The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) had said that the vaccine will be given to children only if they are clinically extremely vulnerable or live with somebody at risk. A US research had suggested the Covid patients of the age group 12-17 are at risk of myocarditis, a condition characterised by heart inflammation.

The study is published in the journal The Lancet Child and Adolescent Health.

The data do not cover the nature of the Delta variant as it started dominating the UK in May. Author Dr Michael Absoud told The Guardian that there is no evidence suggesting that the Delta variant will cause symptoms to last longer.