https://www.cidrap.umn.edu/covid-19...ls-hold-steady-us-result-activity-limitations
Pediatric long-COVID levels hold steady in US, result in activity limitations
Stephanie Soucheray, MA
Today at 4:18 p.m.
COVID-19
Researchers analyzed data from the 2023 National Health Interview Survey (NHIS), in which parents were asked if their child had a prior COVID-19 illness. For children with prior COVID-19 illness, parents reported whether their children had any symptoms lasting 3 months or longer that were not present before they had COVID-19.
"Parents of these children were asked about reduced ability to carry out any daily activities vs prior to having COVID-19 illness (not at all, a little, a lot)," the authors wrote.
Long-COVID rates similar in 2022, 2023
The analytic sample used for the study included 7,585 children with a mean age of 8.8 years, with 48.9% of them girls.
Overall in 2023, 1.4% of children surveyed had ever experienced long-COVID symptoms and 0.4% were currently experiencing long-COVID symptoms at the time of the survey.
Prevalence of long-COVID symptoms was associated with older age (12 to 17 years, 2.3%; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.7% to 2.9%).
These numbers did not differ significantly from 2022 prevalence rates.
Lower income linked to long COVID
The authors assessed socioeconomic factors among children with long COVID, or post-COVID condition (PCC), as well. Prevalence of ever experiencing long COVID increased with decreasing family income (<100% income-to-poverty ratio, 2.6%; 95% CI, 1.5% to 3.6%).
Prevalence of ever experiencing PCC was higher among Hispanic and non-Hispanic White children than both non-Hispanic Black children and children from another or multiple races.
"Prevalence of ever experiencing PCC was higher among Hispanic and non-Hispanic White children than both non-Hispanic Black children and children from another or multiple races," the authors said.
Of note, among children currently experiencing long COVID, 80.0% (95% CI, 62.8% to 91.7%) had activity limitation of some sort that they did not have prior to contracting COVID-19.
"The large proportion of children experiencing PCC with any activity limitation highlights the need to examine the severity of activity limitation, functional outcomes, and days lost from school," the authors concluded.
Pediatric long-COVID levels hold steady in US, result in activity limitations
Stephanie Soucheray, MA
Today at 4:18 p.m.
COVID-19
A research letter published yesterday in JAMA Pediatrics shows that long-COVID levels in US kids held steady at low levels in 2022 and 2023, with 80% of kids with post-COVID symptoms reporting activity limitations.Researchers analyzed data from the 2023 National Health Interview Survey (NHIS), in which parents were asked if their child had a prior COVID-19 illness. For children with prior COVID-19 illness, parents reported whether their children had any symptoms lasting 3 months or longer that were not present before they had COVID-19.
"Parents of these children were asked about reduced ability to carry out any daily activities vs prior to having COVID-19 illness (not at all, a little, a lot)," the authors wrote.
Long-COVID rates similar in 2022, 2023
The analytic sample used for the study included 7,585 children with a mean age of 8.8 years, with 48.9% of them girls.
Overall in 2023, 1.4% of children surveyed had ever experienced long-COVID symptoms and 0.4% were currently experiencing long-COVID symptoms at the time of the survey.
Prevalence of long-COVID symptoms was associated with older age (12 to 17 years, 2.3%; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.7% to 2.9%).
These numbers did not differ significantly from 2022 prevalence rates.
Lower income linked to long COVID
The authors assessed socioeconomic factors among children with long COVID, or post-COVID condition (PCC), as well. Prevalence of ever experiencing long COVID increased with decreasing family income (<100% income-to-poverty ratio, 2.6%; 95% CI, 1.5% to 3.6%).
Prevalence of ever experiencing PCC was higher among Hispanic and non-Hispanic White children than both non-Hispanic Black children and children from another or multiple races.
"Prevalence of ever experiencing PCC was higher among Hispanic and non-Hispanic White children than both non-Hispanic Black children and children from another or multiple races," the authors said.
Of note, among children currently experiencing long COVID, 80.0% (95% CI, 62.8% to 91.7%) had activity limitation of some sort that they did not have prior to contracting COVID-19.
"The large proportion of children experiencing PCC with any activity limitation highlights the need to examine the severity of activity limitation, functional outcomes, and days lost from school," the authors concluded.