Common COVID Long-Hauler Symptoms Seen in Kids

CLEVELAND – We often hear about adults suffering from COVID long-hauler symptoms, but did you know some children are also experiencing the same issues?

“The most common symptoms that we see for children who have long COVID are fatigue, difficulty concentrating and mood swings,” said Kimberly Giuliano, MD, pediatrician for Cleveland Clinic Children’s. “And these symptoms are reported in roughly about 25% of children who have had COVID.”

Dr. Giuliano said it’s pretty common for parents to assume these symptoms are related to something other than COVID.

For example, they may think the child caught a cold or another illness at some point or is having mood swings for another reason.

With that being said, it’s important for parents to bring their child in to get checked out if the symptoms are persisting for more than a week or two, or if they are significantly impacting their life.

Dr. Giuliano said there are different treatment options available depending on the type of symptoms and severity.

“The pediatrician or family practice provider would spend some time trying to understand the timeline related to COVID and the onset of symptoms, how common these symptoms were for the child before the infection even started and then put all those pieces together to determine what the best treatment option would be for them,” she explained.

Dr. Giuliano said to help prevent these kinds of issues from happening, parents should make sure their kids are vaccinated and boosted.