09/19/2021 10:54 AM
Clarín.com
Society
Updated 09/19/2021 10:54 AM
Symptoms of the coronavirus are almost non-existent beyond 12 weeks in boys.
This statement made by a new study published in Melbourne, Australia gives reassuring signals that minors are less likely to suffer the debilitating effects of the so-called "long Covid" or "prolonged Covid".
The scientific review was conducted by pediatric researchers at the Murdoch Children's Research Institute in Melbourne and concludes that, for the most part, global studies of long-term Covid in children have "
significant limitations
" and that the vast majority "
overestimate the risk
."
"Long Covid" is not an official medical term.
But it is used to describe cases in which the person suffers from the symptoms of the virus for longer than the official period of two weeks considered by the World Health Organization (WHO).
Up to three months it is called "post Covid", but if it persists over time the name changes to "long Covid".
The "prolonged covid" can last up to a year
.
Minors have a "almost non-existent" risk factor in prolonged Covid.
The review, which has just been published in the Pediatric Infectious Disease Journal, analyzed the results of
14 studies in which almost 20,000 boys participated
: 19,426 was the official figure.
The report details that the most common symptoms - experienced between 4 and 12 weeks after an acute infection in children - are:
headaches, fatigue, sleep disturbances, difficulty concentrating and abdominal pain
.
The director of research and specialist in pediatric infectious diseases, Nigel Curtis, described that the data examined clearly shows that the coronavirus remains a mild illness in children under 12 years old and that
hospital admissions are almost non-existent.
It also notes that existing studies of prolonged Covid in children have "significant limitations."
In turn, he reported that more research is needed to establish the long-term risks that the disease presents for minors.
Although it is a reassuring signal for minors, a good part of the studies lack a clear definition of cases and data related to age.
The "long Covid" worries the scientific community
The long-term effects of the virus are one of the current concerns of the scientific community.
Days ago the National Institute of Health of the United States (NIH) announced the beginning of an investigation with a budget of 470 million dollars to study the long-term consequences that the coronavirus leaves in people who suffer from it.
It is known that the diversity of sequelae left by the coronavirus depends on each person and how their immune system reacts after infection with the virus.
Recent studies revealed that there is a possibility that Covid-19 could trigger an autoimmune reaction that causes persistent and prolonged symptoms.
With information from ANSA