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6h ago

Reinfection More Than Doubles Long COVID Risk in Children, RECOVER Study Finds

The NIH-funded analysis links second infections to broader harms, reinforcing clinicians’ calls for pediatric vaccination.

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Ephrem Chen, 9, receives a COVID-19 booster shot and a flu vaccine from an IDPH nurse during a walk-in clinic on Dec. 3, 2023, at St. Procopius School in Pilsen. Illinois is recommending the COVID-19 vaccine this respiratory virus season for all children ages 6 to 23 months old and for children between the ages of 2 and 17 if they are in higher risk groups, or if their parents want them to have the shot, recommendations that are similar to those made by the American Academy of Pediatrics. (Brian Cassella/Chicago Tribune)

Overview

  • Researchers evaluated more than 465,000 pediatric electronic health records across 40 U.S. children’s hospitals from January 2022 to October 2023 during the omicron period.
  • Diagnosed long COVID affected about 904 per million after a first infection versus roughly 1,884 per million after a second infection within six months.
  • The increased risk was consistent regardless of vaccination status, initial illness severity, age, sex, race or ethnicity, or weight category.
  • Reinfection was associated with rare but serious conditions in youth, including a tripled risk of myocarditis and more than double the risk of blood clots, alongside kidney injury, arrhythmias, headaches, abdominal pain, fatigue, and respiratory problems.
  • Study co-author Dr. Ravi Jhaveri said the findings strengthen the case for vaccinating children, as the release coincides with divergent guidance that includes Illinois encouraging pediatric shots while a federal advisory panel declined a universal recommendation.