Aug. 12, 2022
Nearly 30 per cent of children who were hospitalized for COVID-19 or MIS-C, a rare but serious COVID-related condition, had symptoms more than a couple of months after their diagnosis, a new study found.
The study, published Friday in the journal Pediatrics, said the most common symptoms for children hospitalized with COVID-19 were fatigue, shortness of breath, cough, headache, muscle and body aches and fever.
MIS-C is a rare condition that affects children, often — but not always — after COVID-19 infection. Doctors don’t know exactly what causes it. The condition seems to follow some weeks after infection and can cause certain parts of the body to be inflamed. It can affect major organs including the kidneys, brain, lungs and heart.
For kids with MIS-C, “activity impairment” — trouble doing normal activities — was the most common symptom in the study. Other serious symptoms included not being able to exercise or even walk as much as usual, sleeping more than usual and trouble concentrating at school.