30% of adults suffer from long COVID-19, new research shows kids are catching up

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — Approximately 30% of adults in a study by the University of California Los Angeles developed long-haul COVID-19, new research shows, and the rate of long COVID-19 in children is now catching up.

Long COVID-19 is characterized a condition where coronavirus symptoms persist, develop, or fluctuate after getting sick with the virus.

In a new cross-continental study, scientists assessed over 80,000 children and followed them after their diagnosis. Twenty-five percent reported coronavirus symptoms at least four to 12 weeks after the infection cleared.

Sixteen percent of children say they are experiencing from a newly-acquired mood disorder. Nearly 10% report having chronic fatigue. Eight percent of the sample said they continue to have trouble sleeping and continue to experience headaches, and 7.5% reported prolonged respiratory problems such as shortness of breath.

Authors in the paper say in a statement:

“Identifying the main signs and symptoms of pediatric long COVID can help diagnose, develop better treatments, create multidisciplinary teams for optimal clinical management and find risk factors for prevention.”