Table 1 Study population

From: Distinct pro-inflammatory/pro-angiogenetic signatures distinguish children with Long COVID from controls

 

Long COVID

Health controls

Acute COVID-19

MIS-C

 

N 34

N 19

N 32

N 27

Age (mean)

11.95

12.44

11.48

9.71

Female

23 (67.6%)

5 (26.3%)

11 (34.3%)

10 (37%)

Severity of acute infection

    

 Asymptomatic

0

–

2 (6.2%)

–

 Mild

34 (100%)

–

19 (59.4%)

–

 Moderate

0

–

11 (34.4%)

–

 Severe/critical

0

–

0

–

Probable variant of acute infection

 

/

  

  Wild

3 (8.9%)

–

31 (96.9%)

14 (62.9%)

  Alpha

5 (14.6%)

–

0

6 (22.2%)

  Delta

7 (20.6%)

–

0

2 (7.4%)

  Omicron

19 (55.9%)

–

1 (3.1%)

5 (18.5%)

Cluster of persisting symptoms (N)

 

/

/

/

   Fatiguea

27

–

–

–

   Cardiovascularb

4

–

–

–

   Neurocognitivec

16

–

–

–

   Muscleskeletald

12

–

–

–

   Skin

3

–

–

–

   Post-exertional malaise

15

–

–

–

   Gastrointestinal

7

–

–

–

Number of systems involved in the post-acute phase

 

/

/

/

   1

7

–

–

–

   2

10

–

–

–

   3

12

–

–

–

   4

4

–

–

–

   5

1

–

–

–

Overall duration of long COVID symptoms since enrollmente

 

/

/

/

   3 months

8 (23.5%)

   

   6 months

13 (38.2%)

   

   12 months

8 (23.5%)

   

   18 months

5 (14.7%)

   
  1. aBased on reporting fatigue “almost always” in the Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory™ Multidimensional Fatigue Scale (PedsQL™ Multidimensional Fatigue Scale) in the appropriate sections, according to the core outcomes set for pediatric Long COVID (15).
  2. bCardiovascular: new onset episodes of palpitations of tachycardia, new onset episodes of syncope/pre-syncope.
  3. cNeurocognitive problems: brain fog, difficult concentration, unusual behavior, unusual memory problems.
  4. dGastrointestinal: abdominal pain, frequent diarrhea, new onset episodes of reflux.
  5. eBased on returning to fully normal routine activities as before COVID-19.
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