GETTY X2 a laboratory-confirmed diagnosis of COVID-19 . Additional requirements for studies were a minimum of 30 patients , that the study was published in English and that it met the definition of long-COVID proposed by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence ( NICE ); that is , 4 – 12 weeks or for 12 weeks or longer .
The literature search identified 21 eligible studies with the number of participants ranging from 53 to 57,763 . A problem for the researchers was how the definition of long COVID varied in the literature . For instance , the terms ‘ persistent COVID ’ ‘ long COVID ’, ‘ post-acute COVID ’ were all used and included in the analysis .
The prevalence of long COVID in children and adolescents , defined by the presence of one or more symptoms persisting for more than 4 weeks , was 25.24 % ( 95 % CI 18.17 – 33.02 ). This prevalence was slightly higher among those who had been hospitalised ( 29.19 %; 95 % CI 17.83 – 41.98 ). In terms of the reported symptoms , the most frequent were mood symptoms , including sadness , tension , anger , depression and anxiety ( 16.5 %), followed by fatigue ( 9.6 %), sleep disorders ( 8.4 %) and headache ( 7.8 %).
In their meta-analysis , which compared symptoms with control patients , children with long COVID had a higher risk of persistent dyspnoea ( odds ratio , OR = 2.69 , 95 % CI 2.20 – 3.14 ), anosmia ( OR = 10.68 ) and or fever ( OR = 2.23 ).
Overall , there was a wide range of symptoms affecting other organs such as the gastrointestinal tract , skin , and musculoskeletal system , l as well as the
cardiorespiratory system .
The authors concluded that long COVID represents a significant health concern and that their data support the continued monitoring of the impact on the condition in children and adolescents , to better understand the paediatric burden .
References 1 Soriano JB et al . A clinical case definition of post- COVID-19 condition by a Delphi consensus . Lancet Infect Dis 2022 ; 22 ( 4 ): e102 – e107 . 2 Lopez-Leon S et al . Long-COVID in children and adolescents :
a systematic review and meta-analyses . Sci Rep 2022 ; 12:9950 .
Multivitamin supplements unlikely to benefit either cardiovascular disease or cancer
According to a 2016 survey of over 37,000 adults in the US , 52 % reported use of any supplement , with 31 % reporting the use of a multivitamin , multi-mineral supplement . 1 Supplement use in Europe appears to be more variable , with a 2009 study finding that usage among adults ranged from 2 % ( Greece ) to 51 % ( Denmark ). 2 While prevalence surveys are of interest , what is most revealing is the reason why consumers take dietary vitamin / mineral supplements . One study reported that the most common reasons for supplement use include overall health and wellness ( 58 %), to fill nutrient gaps ( 42 %) and for immune health ( 32 %). 3
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