Researchers stress the need for further understanding of why some people continue to experience COVID symptoms.
Many Teens Recover Within Two Years
Most young people who had persistent COVID-19 symptoms after testing positive no longer have them two years later.
A new study aimed to track teenagers suffering from fatigue and other problems months or years after infection.
The study surveyed over 12,600 English teens aged 11 to 17 about COVID-19 symptoms at three, six, 12, and 24 months after their initial infection.
Researchers defined long COVID as having at least one ongoing symptom like fatigue, shortness of breath, headaches, or trouble sleeping.
These symptoms were accompanied by mobility issues, difficulty performing usual activities, pain, or feelings of anxiety or sadness.
Out of the nearly 1,000 teens who reported symptoms at all four points, around 25% fit the long COVID definition at three months.
A year after infection, this dropped to 10%. After two years, about 7% still met the definition.
Sixty-eight teens continued to experience COVID symptoms two years after their initial positive test.
This group typically had five or six symptoms that persisted over the two-year period.
The most common symptoms were tiredness, trouble sleeping, shortness of breath, and headaches.
The study was published in Nature Communications Medicine and funded by the UK’s National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR).
Disparities in Recovery and Need for Further Research
Ziyad Al-Aly, chief of research at the VA St Louis Health Care System, commented on the findings.
He noted that these results align with patterns seen in adults and emphasize the persistence of long COVID in some individuals.
Long COVID has remained less studied in children and young adults, despite evidence of its wide-reaching effects.
It is estimated that 36 million people in Europe and Central Asia may have experienced long COVID since the pandemic’s start.
The study also highlighted several key observations:
- Females were nearly twice as likely to experience long COVID compared to males.
- Older teens and those from the most deprived socioeconomic backgrounds were less likely to recover fully.
Sir Terence Stephenson, the study’s lead investigator, stated that most teenagers who reported symptoms three months after infection had recovered by two years.
However, he expressed intentions to investigate the reasons why 68 teenagers had not recovered.
Dr Nathan Cheetham from King’s College London added that the study aligns with adult findings and sheds light on societal inequities.
Cheetham stressed that health disparities affect the most disadvantaged groups.
He emphasized the urgent need to address underlying causes such as poor housing and unequal healthcare access.
Al-Aly called for further research to better understand long COVID’s long-term effects on children’s development, education, and health outcomes.