Tag: school performance

School Difficulties and Long COVID in Children and Adolescents

Abstract:

Objective: Pediatric Long COVID (LC) is an infection-associated chronic condition following SARS-CoV-2 infection. While research has begun to elucidate clinical phenotypes, functional impacts are not well described.

Methods: Cross-sectional data from the NIH-funded Researching COVID to Enhance Recovery (RECOVER) pediatric observational cohort were analyzed to assess associations in school-age children (6 to 11 years) and adolescents (12 to 17 years) between LC and caregiver-reported school-related functional outcomes. LC was defined using RECOVER age group-specific symptom-based LC research indices. The primary outcome was worsening of child grades. Secondary outcomes included difficulty paying attention, limited fun with friends, and having an Individualized Education Program (IEP). Using age-stratified analyses, children with and without LC were matched based on age, sex, and dates of infection and enrollment, to estimate risk ratios (RRs) between LC and each outcome.

Results: The cohort included 1976 children (406 school-age, 1570 adolescent). About 18% of school-age children and 29% of adolescents with LC had reported worsened grades, compared to 7% and 11% without LC, respectively [school-age: adjusted RR 2.18 (95% CI: 1.15-4.11); adolescent: adjusted RR 2.39 (95% CI: 1.86-3.06)]. In both age groups, children with LC were more likely to have difficulty paying attention, limited fun with friends, and IEPs.

Conclusions: LC in school-age children and adolescents was negatively associated with functional school-related outcomes, including academic performance, attention, and peer interactions. As LC affects a substantial proportion of U.S. children, these findings highlight the urgent need to develop, provide, and evaluate school-related services for children and adolescents with LC.

Source: Reeder HT, Kleinman LC, Stockwell MS, Thaweethai T, Pant DB, Rhee KE, Jernigan TL, Snowden JN, Salisbury AL, Kinser PA, Milner JD, Tantisira KG, Warburton D, Mohandas S, Wood JC, Fitzgerald ML, Carmilani M, Krishnamoorthy A, Foulkes AS, Gross RS; RECOVER-Pediatrics Consortium. School Difficulties and Long COVID in Children and Adolescents. Acad Pediatr. 2026 Jul;26(5):103314. doi: 10.1016/j.acap.2026.103314. Epub 2026 Apr 3. PMID: 41936816; PMCID: PMC13386493. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC13386493/ (Full text)

The Impact of Post-COVID-19 Syndrome in Adolescents: A Pilot Study

Abstract:

Background: Post-COVID-19 syndrome has emerged as a long-term complication in adults and children; its effect on adolescents’ performance in school is not well studied.

Objectives: To study the physical/psychological impact of prolonged post-COVID-19 symptoms on school performance.

Methods: This is a cross-sectional study using Google Forms, a web-based fully anonymized survey of children in grades 10-12.

Results: The study included 54 students with a mean age of 16 years of whom 32 had COVID-19. Two were hospitalized and 10 had symptoms lasting more than four weeks. Commonly reported chronic symptoms were fatigue and cough. Seven students quit sports; eight had a decrease in their academic performance. Adolescents being infected more than once or not being fully vaccinated were more likely to develop prolonged symptoms and quit sports while academic performance in school was not affected. Three out of 10 (30%) students who had COVID-19 and responded to the questionnaire reported not seeking help.

Conclusion: Post-COVID-19 syndrome is associated with a decline in physical but not mental performance in school. Being infected more than once with SARS-CoV-2 seems to play an important role in the persistence of post-COVID-19 symptoms despite the fact that some adolescents are hesitant to seek medical or psychological care.

Source: El Khoury J, Skoury M, El Khoury MY. The Impact of Post-COVID-19 Syndrome in Adolescents: A Pilot Study. Cureus. 2023 Jun 19;15(6):e40655. doi: 10.7759/cureus.40655. PMID: 37476124; PMCID: PMC10356177. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10356177/ (Full text)