The Clinical Course and Outcomes of SARS-CoV-2 Virus Infection in Children: A 24-Week Follow-Up Study in Sulaimaniyah, Iraq
June 2023
in “
BMC Pediatrics
”
TLDR Most children recovered from COVID-19 in 4 weeks, but some experienced long-term symptoms, especially older kids.
A study conducted on 105 children under 16 years old in Sulaimaniyah, Iraq, with confirmed COVID-19 infection found that 85.6% fully recovered within 4 weeks. However, 15.2% reported long COVID-19 infection symptoms, with the most common being fatigue (7.1%), hair fall (4.0%), lack of concentration (3.0%), and abdominal pain (2.0%). Children aged 11–16 showed a greater risk of long-term COVID-19 infection symptoms. The study also found that those who reported ongoing symptoms at 4–6 weeks of follow-up assessment had a higher risk of long COVID infection symptoms. The study concluded that while most children had a mild disease and recovered completely, many suffered from long COVID infection symptoms.
