A clinical survey of 85 pediatric long-COVID patients in Bavaria, Germany, reveals high levels of fatigue, loss of motivation, difficulty concentrating and maintaining attention, worsened mood, and greater anxiety. A
To holistically describe long-COVID symptoms and identify risk factors for post-infection neurocognitive and emotional problems, University of Regensburg researchers analyzed clinical data from COVID-19 survivors aged 12 to 17 years who had symptoms for at least 4 weeks. The average patient age was 12.5 years, 61.2% were girls, and the average interval from infection to examination was 5.7 months.
From December 2021 to June 2023, the children were given a neuropsychological evaluation made up of infection-specific interviews, psychopathologic exams, questionnaires on emotional well-being and behavioral problems, and computerized tests measuring concentration, attention, and memory. Participants also underwent neurologic, pneumological, gastrointestinal, and cardiac testing.
84% had abnormal psychological results.
Most children had elevated levels of fatigue (82.4%), loss of motivation (72.9%), impaired concentration and attention (71.8%), and worsened mood (53%), and 31.8% reported more anxiety. The most common diagnoses were post-COVID adjustment disorder (38.8%) and post-COVID attention-deficit disorder (23.5%). Disturbances in attention and memory, drive and psychomotor activity, affect, circadian disturbances, and worries and compulsions were common.
