East Montgomery Times

Long COVID increases children's risks for serious health issues across various organ systems, as shown by recent studies from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. These studies highlight dangers such as kidney disease, gastrointestinal problems, and cardiovascular conditions that may persist long after a COVID-19 infection.

“While most public attention has focused on the acute phase of COVID-19, our findings reveal children face significant long-term health risks that clinicians need to monitor,” said Yong Chen, PhD, senior author and professor in the Department of Biostatistics and Epidemiology. These findings emerged from the Researching COVID to Enhance Recovery (RECOVER) Initiative, backed by the National Institutes of Health (NIH).

One study focused on young patients with SARS-CoV-2 positive tests who faced a 17 percent increased risk of developing stage 2 or higher chronic kidney disease. This risk was substantially greater, up to 35 percent, for stage 3 or higher, indicating mild to severe kidney damage. Published in JAMA Network Open, the study involved data from 1,900,146 individuals under 21.

In another research, also published in JAMA Network Open, 1,576,933 children and adolescents were studied to analyze gastrointestinal issues. Children with a positive SARS-CoV-2 test, as compared to negative test counterparts, reported a 25 percent higher likelihood of experiencing gastrointestinal symptoms or disorders, increasing to 28 percent in chronic conditions.

Cardiovascular conditions, including arrhythmias and heart inflammation, appeared notably in children who had contracted SARS-CoV-2, as found in research published in Nature Communications. These patients showed a 63 percent increase in risk compared to those never infected, regardless of the presence of congenital heart defects.

Differences also emerged across racial and ethnic lines. Nature Communications documented mild increases in long-COVID outcomes post-severe or non-severe COVID in Asian American Pacific Islander children compared to non-Hispanic Whites. Meanwhile, Hispanic patients faced increased risks of hair loss, whereas non-Hispanic Black patients showed a mildly lower risk for skin symptoms after severe COVID.

“Overall, these findings underscore the fact that clinicians need to monitor pediatric patients for long COVID signs and symptoms—and need to be prepared to treat these conditions,” Chen emphasized. The studies received funding from the National Institutes of Health.

For more information, contact Frank Otto at Francis.Otto@pennmedicine.upenn.edu or 267-693-2999.