Neurological and psychological effects of long COVID in a young population: A cross-sectional study.
Front Neurol
; 13: 925144, 2022.
Article
em En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-36062008
ABSTRACT
Aim:
We evaluated the long-term clinical status of pediatric patients after testing positive for COVID-19. We hypothesized that there are similar symptoms to those that have been described in adults and children and that pediatric patients with neurophysiologic symptoms still present 3-5 months after infection have psychological consequences that interfere with their adaptive functioning.Method:
We recruited 322 COVID-19-positive pediatric patients, between 1.5 and 17 years old, from the outpatient clinic for COVID-19 follow-up. Neurological symptoms were analyzed at onset, after 1 month, and after 3-5 months. A psychological assessment with standardized questionnaires was also conducted to determine the impact of the disease.Results:
At the onset of COVID-19, 60% of the total sample exhibited symptoms; this decreased after 1 month (20%) but stabilized 3-5 months after disease onset (22%). Prevailing long-COVID neurological symptoms were headache, fatigue, and anosmia. In the 1.5-5-year-old subgroup, internalizing problems emerged in 12% of patients. In the 6-18-year-old subgroup, anxiety and post-traumatic stress showed significant associations with neurological symptoms of long COVID.Conclusions:
These data demonstrate that long COVID presents various broad-spectrum symptoms, including psychological and long-lasting cognitive issues. If not treated, these symptoms could significantly compromise the quality of life of children and adolescents.
Texto completo:
1
Coleções:
01-internacional
Base de dados:
MEDLINE
Tipo de estudo:
Observational_studies
/
Prevalence_studies
/
Risk_factors_studies
Aspecto:
Patient_preference
Idioma:
En
Revista:
Front Neurol
Ano de publicação:
2022
Tipo de documento:
Article
País de afiliação:
Itália