Legacy of COVID-19 infection in children: long-COVID will have a lifelong health/economic impact

Munblit, Daniel; Simpson, Frances; Mabbitt, Jeremy; DunnGalvin, Audrey; Semple, Malcolm G; Warner, John O.

doi:10.1136/archdischild-2021-321882

Cited by 22 publications

(20 citation statements)

References 13 publications

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“…A recently published viewpoint ( 68 ) highlighted the potential legacy of post-COVID-19 condition. There has been significant resistance to recognizing post-COVID-19 condition as a clinical entity in adults and even more so in children.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Post COVID-19 Condition in Children and Adolescents: An Emerging Problem

et al. 2022

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The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection became a pandemic in 2020 and by March 2022 had caused more than 479 million infections and 6 million deaths worldwide. Several acute and long-term symptoms have been reported in infected adults, but it remains unclear whether children/adolescents also experience persistent sequelae. Hence, we conducted a review of symptoms and pathophysiology associated with post-coronavirus disease 2019 (post-COVID-19) condition in children and adolescents. We reviewed the scientific literature for reports on persistent COVID-19 symptoms after SARS-CoV-2 infection in both children/adolescents and adults from 1 January 2020 to 31 March 2022 (based on their originality and relevance to the broad scope of this review, 26 reports were included, 8 focused on adults and 18 on children/adolescents). Persistent sequelae of COVID-19 are less common in children/adolescents than in adults, possibly owing to a lower frequency of SARS-CoV-2 infection and to the lower impact of the infection itself in this age group. However, cumulative evidence has shown prolonged COVID-19 to be a clinical entity, with few pathophysiological associations at present. The most common post-COVID-19 symptoms in children/adolescents are fatigue, lack of concentration, and muscle pain. In addition, we found evidence of pathophysiology associated with fatigue and/or headache, persistent loss of smell and cough, and neurological and/or cardiovascular symptoms. This review highlights the importance of unraveling why SARS-CoV-2 infection may cause post-COVID-19 condition and how persistent symptoms might affect the physical, social, and psychological well-being of young people in the future.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Post COVID-19 Condition in Children and Adolescents: An Emerging Problem

et al. 2022

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“…Immune cell recirculate and home to different tissuesespecially to the upper respiratory tract because of instruction by stromal cells in the tonsilswhich is determined by the expression of homing receptors. This can also be influenced by food components, selectively homing, for example by vitamins, resulting in increased memory responses in the local tissues of the upper respiratory tract (6). This figure was created with BioRender.com.…”

Section: Anatomical and Physiological Aspects Of Interaction Of Nutri...mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Respiratory infections are common in the elderly and in very young children and place a heavy burden on the health care system, especially in the winter months. In addition to the direct impact of respiratory infections, there are causal links between respiratory infections and the development and worsening of chronic respiratory diseases such as asthma in children (1)(2)(3), long COVID in children and adults (4)(5)(6), COVID-19 induced pulmonary fibrosis in adults and the elderly (7), and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) in the elderly (8).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Ingestion, Immunity, and Infection: Nutrition and Viral Respiratory Tract Infections

et al. 2022

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Respiratory infections place a heavy burden on the health care system, particularly in the winter months. Individuals with a vulnerable immune system, such as very young children and the elderly, and those with an immune deficiency, are at increased risk of contracting a respiratory infection. Most respiratory infections are relatively mild and affect the upper respiratory tract only, but other infections can be more serious. These can lead to pneumonia and be life-threatening in vulnerable groups. Rather than focus entirely on treating the symptoms of infectious disease, optimizing immune responsiveness to the pathogens causing these infections may help steer towards a more favorable outcome. Nutrition may have a role in such prevention through different immune supporting mechanisms. Nutrition contributes to the normal functioning of the immune system, with various nutrients acting as energy sources and building blocks during the immune response. Many micronutrients (vitamins and minerals) act as regulators of molecular responses of immune cells to infection. It is well described that chronic undernutrition as well as specific micronutrient deficiencies impair many aspects of the immune response and make individuals more susceptible to infectious diseases, especially in the respiratory and gastrointestinal tracts. In addition, other dietary components such as proteins, pre-, pro- and synbiotics, and also animal- and plant-derived bioactive components can further support the immune system. Both the innate and adaptive defense systems contribute to active antiviral respiratory tract immunity. The initial response to viral airway infections is through recognition by the innate immune system of viral components leading to activation of adaptive immune cells in the form of cytotoxic T cells, the production of neutralizing antibodies and the induction of memory T and B cell responses. The aim of this review is to describe the effects of a range different dietary components on anti-infective innate as well as adaptive immune responses and to propose mechanisms by which they may interact with the immune system in the respiratory tract.

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“…Moreover, as in adults, there is some evidence that a considerable number of children who contract the virus have at least one symptom lasting more than 4 months. This long COVID-19 or post-COVID-19 syndrome, although, due to the quality of the data, poorly proven, may impair children's daily activities, development, and have a lifelong health impact (29,30).…”

Section: Apparent Vaccination Benefitsmentioning

confidence: 99%

SARS-CoV-2 Vaccination in Children and Adolescents—A Joint Statement of the European Academy of Paediatrics and the European Confederation for Primary Care Paediatricians

et al. 2021

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Stopping the COVID-19 pandemic and its socio-economic consequences is only possible with a multifaceted strategy, including mass vaccination. Studies have been conducted mainly in adults, and data on the pediatric population is relatively limited. However, it appears that vaccination in children and adolescents is highly effective and safe. Despite the apparent benefits of vaccinating this age group, there are some medical and ethical concerns. Based on the above considerations, the European Academy of Paediatrics (EAP) and the European Confederation of Primary Care Pediatricians (ECPCP) assessed the current situation and presented recommendations for international and national authorities, pediatricians, and pediatric societies regarding vaccination against SARS-CoV-2 in children and adolescents.

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Legacy of COVID-19 infection in children: long-COVID will have a lifelong health/economic impact

Cited by 22 publications

References 13 publications

Post COVID-19 Condition in Children and Adolescents: An Emerging Problem

Post COVID-19 Condition in Children and Adolescents: An Emerging Problem

Ingestion, Immunity, and Infection: Nutrition and Viral Respiratory Tract Infections

SARS-CoV-2 Vaccination in Children and Adolescents—A Joint Statement of the European Academy of Paediatrics and the European Confederation for Primary Care Paediatricians

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