Acute and persistent symptoms of COVID-19 infection in school-aged children: a retrospective study from China

Wang，Honglin1; Lu，Fangfang2; Ni，Xiuxian2; Luo，Rijing3; Chen，Linxiang4; Yuan，Jing5; Zhang，Zhen1; Lv，Qiuying1

2024-12-01

10.1186/s12889-024-17822-5

BMC Public Health   影响因子和分区

1471-2458

Background: The long-term sequelae of Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in children are unclear. We investigated COVID-19 symptoms in school-aged children to determine their impact on patients and their families. Methods: This cross-sectional study, conducted on February 25–28, 2023, selected a representative kindergarten and 9-year school from Shenzhen, China. There were randomly two classes each for the 12 grades from kindergarten to junior high school. The school-aged children were aged 3–16 years. Literate parents completed an online questionnaire related to their children’s COVID-19 symptoms since December 1, 2022. Descriptive statistics were computed as necessary. Univariate and multivariable linear regression analyses were performed, and variables with a p-value < 0.05 were considered to have a significant association with the subjective feeling scores for COVID-19 infection. Results: We included 936 school-aged children, with a COVID-19 infection rate of 68.5%. The prevalence of LC 28 (illness with symptoms lasting for 28 days) was 3.4%. During acute infection, the median number of the 641 children’s symptoms was 3.0 (IQR: 1.0–5.0) and the median score of subjective feelings was 15.0 (IQR: 11.0–24.5). The top three symptoms were fever, cough/expectoration, and rhinobyon. Age of 13–16 years (adjusted beta: 3.60, 95% CI: 0.32–6.88) and comorbidities (adjusted beta: 3.47, 95% CI: 1.20–5.73) were independently associated with higher subjective feelings (p < 0.05). The top three characteristics associated with LC 28 were alopecia (33.3%, 5/15), cognitive dysfunction (29.2%, 7/24), and emotional problem (28.6%, 6/21). Conclusions: Children with COVID-19 have a short duration of symptoms and milder symptoms, so they can self-medicate to minimize hospital crowding. Children with basic diseases require prompt attention. Although LC 28 is uncommon in children, mental and psychological problems after COVID-19 recovery should not be ignored.

COVID-19 infection Long COVID SARS-Cov-2 School-aged children Symptoms

SCI

英语

其他

SOCIAL SCIENCES, GENERAL

2-s2.0-85183692763

Scopus

1.Department of Communicable Diseases Control and Prevention,Shenzhen Center for Disease Control and Prevention,Shenzhen,8 Longyuan Rd,518055,China
2.Disease Control Division,Public Health Service Center,Shenzhen,Bao’an District,518103,China
3.Department of Epidemiology,School of Public Health,(Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Tropical Disease Research),Southern Medical University,Guangzhou,510515,China
4.Department of Immunization Planning,Luohu District Center for Disease Control and Prevention,Shenzhen,518020,China
5.Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Pathogen and Immunity,State Key Discipline of Infectious Disease,Shenzhen Third People’s Hospital,Second Hospital,National Clinical Research Center for Infectious Disease,Southern University of Science and Technology,Shenzhen,518112,China

Wang，Honglin,Lu，Fangfang,Ni，Xiuxian,et al. Acute and persistent symptoms of COVID-19 infection in school-aged children: a retrospective study from China[J]. BMC Public Health,2024,24(1).

Wang，Honglin.,Lu，Fangfang.,Ni，Xiuxian.,Luo，Rijing.,Chen，Linxiang.,...&Lv，Qiuying.(2024).Acute and persistent symptoms of COVID-19 infection in school-aged children: a retrospective study from China.BMC Public Health,24(1).

Wang，Honglin,et al."Acute and persistent symptoms of COVID-19 infection in school-aged children: a retrospective study from China".BMC Public Health 24.1(2024).