Post-covid syndrome in pediatrics

Abstract

Introduction: The post-covid syndrome is a new disease that emerged a few months after the WHO announced the beginning of the pandemic by the SARS-CoV-2 virus. It is characterized by a persisting clinical picture for more than 3 months after the onset of symptoms.

Objective: To update the knowledge related to the post-covid syndrome in the pediatric population.

Methods: It was carried out a search in PubMed for articles published up to 15 October, 2021 that addressed post-COVID syndrome in patients diagnosed with COVID-19 by real-time reverse transcriptase chain reaction studies with positive results.

Analysis and synthesis of information: The frequency of the syndrome is between 10 and 35% in pediatrics. The most frequent symptoms were fatigue (20%), dyspnea (55 and 60%), difficulty in concentrating (45-60%), headache (30-80%) and chest pain (35-20%) whose duration from hospital discharge varies between 2 and 6 months. Risk factors are: female sex, severity at the beginning of the acute phase, having 5 or more symptoms at that time, and admission to intenssive care units. The pathogenesis is multifactorial and prolonged inflammation played an important role, as well as cytokine storm occurring during the state period.

Conclusions: The post-covid syndrome has an impact on health, which is why it should be investigated in the pediatric population diagnosed with COVID-19 and treated by a multidisciplinary team if necessary.