The impact of COVID-19 pneumonia on children may be seriously underestimated👪👪👪

Long-term symptoms of COVID-19 refer to a series of symptoms appearing after infection with COVID-19, including organ inflammation, shortness of breath, fatigue, behavior changes and so on. Studies have shown that about 30% of people infected with the COVID-19 will have long-term symptoms, even though most people can recover quickly. A recent study in the United Kingdom showed that only 4.4% of children with COVID-19 pneumonia will have symptoms for more than 4 weeks. Only 2% will last for more than 8 weeks. However, another study pointed out that 14% of 11 to 17-year-old children still have symptoms after 15 weeks. The child is older, the situation seems more serious.

Compared with adults, it is more difficult to diagnose long-term symptoms of COVID-19 pneumonia in children. Although most symptoms are similar between adults and children, it is just more difficult to detect. Experts believe that children's bodies have a lot of functional reserves. Therefore, if a 5-year-old child loses 20% of his physical functions, it is hard to find out. Some children with long-term symptoms of COVID-19 suffer from multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C), which may cause organ damage. There are also adolescents with long-term symptoms of COVID-19 who have developed Tourette's syndrome, which is characterized by convulsions and sometimes involuntarily cursing. These are very serious symptoms, not only for the children, but also for their family and related people around them will cause great mental stress. 

Risk and benefit balance

However, some experts believe that the benefit of unblocking is greater than that. They think that infections in children are not unacceptable because their symptoms are usually not serious. 

Without fully understanding the mechanism of this disease, and if its consequences may not slowly appear until many years later, it seems a bit reckless to risk the children. Although it is necessary of reopening the economy, it should adopt certain simple measures, such as wearing masks in schools and enhancing ventilation. Taking these measures can effectively protect the next generation. 

Protect the children from COVID-19

The risk of long-term symptoms of COVID-19 does exist. Schools should improve their preventive measures to protect their students from infecting the COVID-19 virus. It is recommended to provide vaccines to all suitable children. It is not mandatory. Their parents can choose if their children received the vaccines. Doctors need to recognize the severity of the long-term symptoms of COVID-19, rather than just treating it as a psychological problem and asking patients to see a psychologist. This is a physiological problem, so there must be some methods of physiological solution. People often ignore related issues.