Ignoring Long Covid Among Kids Can Have Serious Consequences
Sars-CoV-2 has been less severe among children than adults since the Covid-19 pandemic began. The symptoms of Coronavirus infection are usually mild in children. The omicron variant of Sars-CoV-2, whether symptomatic or asymptomatic, manifests health effects in children months after being diagnosed. Children with Sars-CoV-2 are commonly infected with long Covid.
We must drastically increase vaccination coverage for children over 12 to prevent long-term COVID. A long-term Covid is when infected individuals suffer long-term effects. Infection with Covid-19 can cause it frequently. Mild symptoms of long Covid can also be present in people with mild symptoms. According to studies, non-vaccinated people could also be more prone to long Covid.
After the initial infection, it usually takes four weeks for long Covid symptoms to appear. It cannot, however, be detected by a test. It becomes difficult for healthcare providers to diagnose long Covid’s symptoms. A pounding heart, trouble breathing, fatigue, headaches, muscle pains, and insomnia were thought to be symptoms of “long Covid.”
Some other symptoms include pins-and-needles, anxiety, depression, and changes in taste or smell. Further, dizziness, hallucinations, nausea, and testicular pain have been reported. Most studies on long Covid have taken place on adults rather than children.
Findings
According to one study of long Covid, more than 50% of children between 6 and 16 could stay on the drug for over 120 days. At least 42.6% of the participants reported fatigue, joint pain, insomnia, headaches, palpitations, and respiratory issues. The Lancet Child and Adolescent Health published research in June 2022 on long Covid symptoms among 10,997 Covid-19-infected and 33,016 uninfected Danish children aged 0 to 14.
In SARS-CoV-2-infected children, long-term symptoms such as mood swings, rashes, and headaches were more prevalent. Covid infection often causes mood swings, stomach aches, and rashes in children ages 0 to 3. Four to eleven-year-old kids experienced mood swings, rashes, and memory problems. Furthermore, kids aged 12 to 14 suffering from Covid-19 also reported fatigue. According to a different study, 25.24 percent of kids had long Covid.
Kids with long Covid tend to have mood swings, fatigue, and sleep disorders. Shortness of breath, loss of smell, loss of taste, and fever was associated with kids who had been infected with the Covid-19 virus. Covid-19 is still very rare among children; earlier variants of Covid were less contagious to children. Children have fewer ACE2 receptors than adults, which accounts for the reduced susceptibility.
For the virus to enter the body, it needs to bind to ACE2 receptors. Omicron has been found to be more contagious than earlier versions of Covid-19 and, therefore, has affected a more significant number of children. There could be several reasons, including the Omicron variant’s “ability to evade the immune response.”
Additionally, this omicron prefers airways above the lungs, causing obstructions in them. Both immunized and unimmunized children should be studied more closely to make conclusive judgments. Additionally, these studies suffer from the disadvantage that the definitions and terminology of long Covid are still evolving, which could influence the findings. It is crucial, however, to investigate how long Covid affects children from these preliminary studies.
What Can We Do?
Doctors are provided comprehensive guidelines on coping with post-Covid sequelae by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare of the Government of India. India has no studies on long Covid in children, so it isn’t easy to know how many kids have it in the country. As a result of this uncertainty, India can still utilize masks and social distancing in schools to prevent long Covid in kids.
Studies have shown that vaccines reduce the risk of long-term Covid in adults. The same may hold for children as well. However, it is hard to draw this conclusion since no comparison study has been conducted between vaccinated children and those who have not been vaccinated. The government of India started a vaccination drive for children on January 3, 2022. On July 12, 2022, 49 million children aged 15-18 and 25 million children aged 12-14 received two doses of the Covid-19 vaccine.
After accurate scientific data on the safety and efficacy of vaccination for kids below 12 years of age are available, we should raise these numbers immediately. Kids can be protected from long Covid-19 with all of these practices. Studies on the long-term effects of Covid-19 on children are lacking but should not ignore.
We have so far focused on protecting the elderly during this pandemic and preventing deaths. As we move forward, we must consider the virus’s legacy on children. Covid should be controlled as much as possible. Getting help for people with long Covid is the next best thing. A crucial step in this direction is the analysis of data and the conduct of research. As another precaution, healthcare facilities should open long Covid clinics to assist those affected by this silent epidemic.
edited and proofread by nikita sharma
