Here’s What We Know About the Risk of Kids Getting ‘Long COVID’

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  • New research finds that children have a much lower risk of experiencing the symptoms of “long COVID.”
  • When children do have lingering symptoms related to COVID-19, they often resolve within 3 months.
  • The best way to protect yourself against long COVID-19 is to get vaccinated, physically distance, and wear a mask.

A new analysis finds that long-term COVID-19 remains relatively rare among children.

Researchers based in Australia analyzed 14 international studies involving 19,426 children and adolescents who reported “long COVID” symptoms after infection with the coronavirus.

Their findings suggest that the condition is much less common than previously thought.

According to a recently published scientific review by researchers at Melbourne’s Murdoch Children’s Research Institute (MCRI), most global studies into long COVID in children had “significant limitations” and frequently overstated the risk.

While relatively rare, long-term COVID-19 can affect children, according to the researchers. In these cases, they found that the most common symptoms reported were headache, fatigue, sleep disturbance, concentration difficulties, and abdominal pain.

Source: healthline