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Covid disease is less severe in children than in adults.
Long Covid should also be less of a problem
Photo: d3sign / Getty Images
Unlike in adults, the symptoms of Long Covid disease in children rarely last longer than twelve weeks.
This is the result of a meta-analysis of various studies on the topic.
For the study, which was published in the journal “Pediatric Infectious Disease Journal”, the participating researchers evaluated 14 international studies under the direction of the Murdoch Children's Research Institute in Australia.
Headache, fatigue, insomnia, abdominal pain
This included the data of more than 19,400 children and adolescents who had reported persistent symptoms after a Covid disease.
The most common symptoms reported by the children between four and twelve weeks after the acute infection were headache, fatigue, insomnia, difficulty concentrating, and abdominal pain.
However, there is no uniform description of the disease Long Covid.
The symptoms can vary from person to person.
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The scientists found that certain conditions significantly increase the risk for children and adolescents: Children who suffered from chronic kidney diseases, cardiovascular diseases and immune disorders, but also severely overweight children and adolescents would have a 25 times higher risk for severe Covid-19 diseases.
This assessment is supported by a meta-study from February: Among children and adolescents with previous illnesses, the proportion of severe Covid diseases was 5.1 percent.
In children without previous illnesses, this percentage was 0.2.
Delta does not lead to more severe courses in children
A recently published report by the Australian institute also examined the influence of the delta variant on disease progression in children.
After ten months in circulation, Delta did not cause any more serious illnesses in children than previous variants, it said.
Furthermore, most of the cases were asymptomatic or mild.
Because the delta variant is more contagious than previous variants, the number of sick children is increasing - and with it the proportion of those who experience severe disease.
The current data situation is insufficient
However, the meta-analysis by the Murdoch Children's Research Institute also states: In order to more clearly limit the risk and effects of Long Covid disease in young people, further studies and better data are necessary.
These data are also important for decisions about vaccination policy.
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"The current studies lack a clear case definition and age-related data," said the doctor and infectiologist Nigel Curtis, who was involved in the meta-examination.
The scientist Petra Zimmermann from the Swiss University of Friborg also said that long Covid symptoms in children are difficult to differentiate from the indirect effects of the pandemic: School closings may also have an impact on health, as well as a lack of exercise and less contact with friends.
"This underscores the importance of future studies including stricter control groups, including children with other infections and those who have been admitted to hospital or intensive care for other reasons," said Petra Zimmermann.
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