Index of Symptoms Can Identify Long COVID in Children, Adolescents
By Elana Gotkine HealthDay Reporter
THURSDAY, Aug. 22, 2024 -- Postacute sequelae of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection (PASC) can be identified using an index of symptoms, which differs for school-aged children and adolescents, according to a study published online Aug. 21 in the Journal of the American Medical Association.
Rachel S. Gross, M.D., from the NYU Grossman School of Medicine in New York City, and colleagues conducted a multicenter, longitudinal observational cohort study involving participants recruited from more than 60 U.S. health care and community settings between March 2022 and December 2023. Data were included for 898 school-aged children (751 with previous SARS-CoV-2 infection [infected] and 147 without [uninfected]) and 4,469 adolescents (3,109 infected and 1,360 uninfected).
The researchers found that in both school-aged children and adolescents, 14 symptoms were more common in those with versus without infection history, with four additional symptoms in school-aged children only and three in adolescents only in adjusted models. Almost every organ system was affected by these symptoms. For each age group, a PASC research index was developed based on combinations of symptoms most associated with infection history; these indices correlated with poorer overall health and quality of life. In school-aged children, the index emphasized neurocognitive, pain, and gastrointestinal symptoms, while in adolescents, change or loss in smell or taste, pain, and fatigue/malaise-related symptoms were emphasized. In school-aged children and adolescents, clustering analyses identified four and three PASC symptom phenotypes, respectively.
"Symptoms that characterized pediatric PASC differed by age group, and several distinct phenotypic PASC presentations were described," the authors write.
Several authors disclosed ties to the pharmaceutical industry.
Abstract/Full Text (subscription or payment may be required)
Editorial (subscription or payment may be required)
Disclaimer: Statistical data in medical articles provide general trends and do not pertain to individuals. Individual factors can vary greatly. Always seek personalized medical advice for individual healthcare decisions.

© 2025 HealthDay. All rights reserved.
Posted August 2024
Further Support and Information on COVID-19
Read this next
Medicaid Unwinding Linked to Disruption of Chronic Medication Therapy in Youth
FRIDAY, May 16, 2025 -- In young patients, especially young adults, Medicaid unwinding associated with the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted chronic medication therapy, according to a...
No Link Found Between COVID-19 Vaccination During Pregnancy and Spontaneous Abortion
THURSDAY, May 15, 2025 -- There is no association between COVID-19 vaccination in pregnancy and spontaneous abortion, according to a study published online May 2...
RSV Vaccines, Nirsevimab Tied to Reduced RSV-Linked Hospitalization
TUESDAY, May 13, 2025 -- Maternal respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) vaccination and nirsevimab were associated with a reduction in RSV-associated hospitalization rates among...
More news resources
- FDA Medwatch Drug Alerts
- Daily MedNews
- News for Health Professionals
- New Drug Approvals
- New Drug Applications
- Drug Shortages
- Clinical Trial Results
- Generic Drug Approvals
Subscribe to our newsletter
Whatever your topic of interest, subscribe to our newsletters to get the best of Drugs.com in your inbox.