It finds that symptoms, on average, lasted for five days in children aged five to 11, and seven days in 12- to 17-year-olds. Just over 4 per cent experienced symptoms for four weeks or more, while one in 50 had symptoms lasting more than two months.
The study, published in the Lancet journal, is based on data on 1,734 children’s Coronavirus symptoms, as reported by parents through the Zoe smartphone app between September 2020 and February 2021 –coinciding with the reopening of schools in the autumn and the peak of the winter wave when there was widespread availability of Covid testing.
It is one of the first pieces of research to look in detail at Covid illness in symptomatic school-age children.
The most common symptoms reported in children were headaches, tiredness (fatigue), a sore throat and loss of smell (anosmia). Typically, these children had six different Covid symptoms in the first week, and around eight different symptoms in total over the duration of their illness. There were no reports of serious neurological symptoms such as fits or seizures, impaired concentration or attention or anxiety.
'Children who do fall ill with Covid-19 are unlikely to suffer prolonged effects'
Senior author of the report, Emma Duncan, professor of Clinical Endocrinology from the School of Life Course Sciences, said, ‘We know from other studies that many children who catch coronavirus don’t show any symptoms at all; and it will be reassuring for families to know that those children who do fall ill with Covid-19 are unlikely to suffer prolonged effects. However, our research confirms that a small number do have a long illness duration, though these children usually recover with time.
‘We hope our results will be useful for doctors, parents and schools caring for these children. It is also important to remember that there are other infectious diseases that can leave children unwell for many weeks.’
Commenting on the research, health minister, Lord Bethell said, ‘Studies like this will help us build our understanding of long Covid and its impact on different groups as we learn to live with the virus.
‘It’s encouraging to see the condition is uncommon among children and we will continue to provide support to those suffering the long-term effects of the virus. ‘
Vaccinations
The publication of the study comes as all over-16s in Britain are expected to be offered Coronavirus vaccinations.
The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) is expected to recommend vaccines for children aged 16 and 17 within days in an attempt to build up immunity in young people.
- The study - 'Illness duration and symptom profile in symptomatic UK school-aged children tested for SARS-CoV-2' - is available here