Tag: chidren

Prevalence and risk factor for long COVID in children and adolescents: A meta-analysis and systematic review

Abstract:

Background: Millions of COVID-19 pediatric survivors are facing the risk of long COVID after recovery from acute COVID-19. The primary objective of this study was to systematically review the available literature and determine the pooled prevalence of, and risk factors for long COVID among the pediatric survivors.

Methods: Studies that assessed the prevalence of, or risk factors associated with long COVID among pediatric COVID-19 survivors were systematically searched in PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, medRxiv and bioRxiv up to December 11th, 2022. Random effects model was performed to estimate the pooled prevalence of long COVID among pediatric COVID-19 patients. Subgroup analyses and meta-regression on the estimated prevalence of long COVID were performed by stratification with follow-up duration, mean age, sex ratio, percentage of multisystem inflammatory syndrome, hospitalization rate at baseline, and percentage of severe illness.

Results: Based on 40 studies with 12,424 individuals, the pooled prevalence of any long COVID was 23.36% ([95% CI 15.27-32.53]). The generalized symptom (19.57%, [95% CI 9.85-31.52]) was reported most commonly, followed by respiratory (14.76%, [95% CI 7.22-24.27]), neurologic (13.51%, [95% CI 6.52-22.40]), and psychiatric (12.30%, [95% CI 5.38-21.37]). Dyspnoea (22.75%, [95% CI 9.38-39.54]), fatigue (20.22%, [95% CI 9.19-34.09]), and headache (15.88%, [95% CI 6.85-27.57]) were most widely reported specific symptoms. The prevalence of any symptom during 3-6, 6-12, and >12 months were 26.41% ([95% CI 14.33-40.59]), 20.64% ([95% CI 17.06-24.46]), and 14.89% ([95% CI 6.09-26.51]), respectively. Individuals with aged over ten years, multisystem inflammatory syndrome, or had severe clinical symptoms exhibited higher prevalence of long COVID in multi-systems. Factors such as older age, female, poor physical or mental health, or had severe infection or more symptoms were more likely to have long COVID in pediatric survivors.

Conclusions: Nearly one quarter of pediatric survivors suffered multisystem long COVID, even at 1 year after infection. Ongoing monitoring, comprehensive prevention and intervention is warranted for pediatric survivors, especially for individuals with high risk factors.

Source: Zheng YB, Zeng N, Yuan K, Tian SS, Yang YB, Gao N, Chen X, Zhang AY, Kondratiuk AL, Shi PP, Zhang F, Sun J, Yue JL, Lin X, Shi L, Lalvani A, Shi J, Bao YP, Lu L. Prevalence and risk factor for long COVID in children and adolescents: A meta-analysis and systematic review. J Infect Public Health. 2023 Mar 7. doi: 10.1016/j.jiph.2023.03.005. Epub ahead of print. PMCID: PMC9990879. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9990879/ (Full text)

Feasibility Assessment of a School Nurse-Led Approach Using Chronic Absenteeism to Establish the School-Based Active Surveillance Process

Abstract:

This article shares what was learned from the feasibility assessment of a nurse-led school-based active surveillance (SBAS) pilot to track chronic absenteeism using myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) as an exemplar. This pilot encompassed a 3-year period with training and feedback from school nurses (SNs) on data collection and ME/CFS. SNs found that the SBAS process helped them effectively identifying undiagnosed conditions.

The assessment revealed the importance of focusing outreach efforts and establishing relationships with the school leadership in developing health policies and programs in the school setting. The pilot data were used to develop a manual to guide SNs for the SBAS process. This can be viewed as a model for SNs in establishing a surveillance to identify and track conditions like ME/CFS. With overlapping symptoms of Long COVID to ME/CFS, this assessment may provide insights for additional efforts to understand the impact of Long COVID on students’ education.

Source: Maughan ED, Thompson ME, Walsh CA, Issa A, Lin JS. Feasibility Assessment of a School Nurse-Led Approach Using Chronic Absenteeism to Establish the School-Based Active Surveillance Process. J Sch Nurs. 2022 Dec 20:10598405221144259. doi: 10.1177/10598405221144259. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 36540020. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36540020/

Graded exercise in chronic fatigue syndrome. Including patients who rated themselves as a little better would have altered results

Comment on:

Randomised controlled trial of graded exercise in patients with the chronic fatigue syndrome. [BMJ. 1997]

Managing chronic fatigue syndrome in children. [BMJ. 1997]

 

Editor—“Editor’s choice” in the issue of 7 June states, “we agree that myalgic encephalomyelitis (or chronic fatigue syndrome) is a serious condition” and “all conditions have a mental and physical component.” This is the stance of the patient organisations supporting patients with this condition. Unfortunately, some doctors have trivialised this illness; ridiculed patients and their supporters; and subjected a few of them, including children, to oppressive, perhaps even abusive, forms of treatment. Hopefully, this is now a thing of the past. We need, as Harvey Marcovitch says, to explore what might be done to help them.

You can read the rest of this comment here: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2127632/pdf/9361550.pdf

 

Source: Franklin AJ. Graded exercise in chronic fatigue syndrome. Including patients who rated themselves as a little better would have altered results. BMJ. 1997 Oct 11;315(7113):947; author reply 948. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2127632/