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Second COVID Infection in Kids Doubles Long COVID Risk, Large U.S. Study Finds

Researchers analyzed Omicron-era records from 40 pediatric hospitals to quantify reinfection-related complications.

Overview

  • The NIH-funded RECOVER study of more than 460,000 patients under 21 found a twofold increase in long COVID diagnoses after a second documented infection.
  • Six-month incidence was about 904 cases per million after a first infection versus roughly 1,884 per million after a second infection.
  • Reinfection was linked to sharply higher risks of specific conditions, including a tripling of myocarditis and more than double the risk of blood clots, alongside kidney injury, abnormal heart rhythms, severe fatigue and cognitive issues.
  • Elevated risk appeared across demographic and clinical groups regardless of prior vaccination status or initial illness severity, according to the Lancet Infectious Diseases analysis.
  • Study authors urge infection prevention, including pediatric vaccination uptake, and plan longer-term follow-up and variant-specific assessments to refine risk estimates.