Children and young people often develop no symptoms at all when infected with corona, or at least only become mildly ill. Not so with Elli, now 14 years old. Since she was infected with SARS-CoV-2 in February 2022, nothing has been the same for her and her family. The young girl, who used to be a competitive athlete, can now hardly move and spends most of her time in bed. Her mother is fighting with other sufferers for more understanding and support for her daughter’s illness.
Affected: Everything is “incredibly exhausting”
Her room is always dark and there is no music playing. Elli is in pain and has to lie down almost all the time. She is “very exhausted” and “incredibly tired”, but still sleeps badly. Everything is “incredibly exhausting”, says the 14-year-old. She only goes to school “to see my friends again”, as she says, because it is the only way to “simply see my friends and not just talk on the phone”.
Post-Covid: the most common symptoms in children and adolescents
Elli is suffering from the most severe form of long-term symptoms. Her exhaustion is caused by a neuroimmunological disease: Myalgic Encephalomyelitis / Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, also abbreviated ME/CFS.
Exhaustion, daytime tiredness and lack of energy are also the most common long-term consequences of a corona infection among young people, at 80 percent. This was the result of a US study published in August. Cohort study [externer Link]. 5,367 children and young people took part. The results: Children aged six to eleven most frequently suffer from headaches (57 percent), difficulty concentrating or memory problems and sleep disorders (44 percent) and stomach aches (43 percent). In young people with long or post-Covid – the terms are often used synonymously for the long-term consequences of a corona infection – headaches (55 percent) or difficulty concentrating (49 percent) are also very common. Also muscle and limb pain (60 percent).
Why post-Covid diagnosis in children is difficult
Diagnosing post-Covid in children is not that easy, says Professor Uta Behrends, who heads one of the few special outpatient clinics for young patients, operated by the University Hospital of the Technical University of Munich and the Munich Clinic. “Making a post-Covid diagnosis is such a big challenge because we have to talk in great detail with those affected and their families.” Cooperation with those treating them is the way to go. “And then we just have to check the symptoms to see whether another illness might be present and cover this with our usual means, blood tests, functional tests and questionnaires,” says the doctor.
The problem is also that many patients are misdiagnosed due to a lack of knowledge about the clinical picture, says Soleil Völkl, who has a son who also suffers from post-Covid. Families are often “sent to the wrong care system” for a long time, she reports. One reason for the misdiagnoses is that the clinical picture of post-Covid is very complex. It can include around 200 symptoms.
Children with post-Covid: What those affected are demanding
Soleil Völkl has therefore founded the “NichtGenesenKids” association with Magdalena Riepl, Elli’s mother, and others. It supports families with children who have not recovered after a corona infection or corona vaccination. In addition to providing support and information about the disease, a key concern for them is the education of the affected children and young people. After all, their ability to learn is often limited due to their illness and attending school is not always possible.
