Characterizing Long COVID Symptoms During Early Childhood
May 27, 2025
Question Which prolonged symptoms in early childhood are associated with SARS-CoV-2 infection?
Findings In the Researching COVID to Enhance Recovery (RECOVER)–Pediatrics cohort study including 472 infants/toddlers and 539 preschool-aged children, prolonged symptoms were identified that were more common in young children with infection history than those without. Infants/toddlers (0-2 years) with infection history were more likely to experience trouble sleeping, fussiness, poor appetite, stuffy nose, and cough, and preschool-aged children (3-5 years) were more likely to experience dry cough and daytime tiredness/sleepiness or low energy; empirically derived indices for long COVID research were developed from these symptoms.
Meaning Results of this cohort study suggest that symptom patterns were distinguishable across infants/toddlers and preschool-aged children, and from previously studied older children and adults.