Fatigue in children and young people up to 24 months after infection with SARS-CoV-2, 2025, Richards-Belle, Stephenson, Chalder+

SNT Gatchaman

SNT Gatchaman

Senior Member (Voting Rights)
Staff member
Fatigue in children and young people up to 24 months after infection with SARS-CoV-2
Richards-Belle, Alvin; Shafran, Roz; Rojas, Natalia K; Stephenson, Terence; Carr, Ewan; Chalder, Trudie; Dalrymple, Emma; McOwat, Kelsey; Simmons, Ruth; Pinto Pereira, Snehal M

Persistent fatigue is common following acute SARS-CoV-2 infection. Little is known about post-infection fatigue trajectories in children and young people (CYP). This paper reports on a longitudinal analysis of the Children and Young People with Long COVID study. SARS-CoV-2-positive participants, aged 11-to-17-years at enrolment, responding to follow-ups at 3-, 6-, 12-, and 24-months post-infection were included.

Fatigue was assessed via the Chalder Fatigue Scale (CFQ; score range: 0-11, with ≥4 indicating clinical case-ness) and by a single-item (no, mild, severe fatigue). Fatigue was described cross-sectionally and examined longitudinally using linear mixed-effects models.

Among 943 SARS-CoV-2-positive participants, 581 (61.6%) met CFQ case-ness at least once during follow-up. A higher proportion of ever-cases (vs. never-cases) were female (77.1% vs. 54.4%), older (mean age 15.0 vs. 13.9 years), and met Post-COVID Condition criteria 3-months post-infection (35.6% vs. 7.2%). The proportion of CFQ cases increased from 35.0% at 3-months to 40.2% at 24-months post-infection; 15.9% meet case-ness at all follow-ups. Single-item mild/severe responses showed sensitivity (≥0.728) and specificity (≥0.755) for CFQ case ascertainment. On average, CFQ scores increased by 0.448 points (95% CI, 0.252 to 0.645) over 24-months, but there were subgroup differences (e.g., fatigue increased faster in females than males and improved slightly in those meeting Post-COVID Condition criteria 3-months post-infection while worsening in those not meeting criteria).

Persistent fatigue was prominent in CYP up to 24 months after infection. Subgroup differences in scores and trajectories highlight the need for targeted interventions. Single-item assessment is a practical tool for screening significant severe fatigue.

Web | DOI | PDF | Nature Scientific Reports | Open Access
 
Fig. 1
figure 1
Prevalence of CFQ items over time up to 24 months post-infection among CFQ ever-cases. CFQ, Chalder Fatigue Scale. N=581.

Fig. 2
figure 2
Mean CFQ Trajectory over time: overall and for the mental and physical subscales (95% CI indicated via shading around trajectory).Scored using the Chalder Fatigue Scale (CFQ) bimodal scoring system. N=943.

Fig. 3
figure 3
Mean trajectories of CFQ total score, by sex, age at time of infection, EHCP and/or learning difficulties at school, and PCC at 3 m (95% CI indicated via shading around trajectory). CFQ, Chalder Fatigue Scale; PCC, Post-Covid Condition; EHCP, Education Health and Care Plan. N=943.
 
ME/CFS gets a mention:
Although distinct, the overlap between paediatric chronic fatigue syndrome and PCC in terms of fatigue and other symptoms is striking, with some authors tentatively suggesting that SARS-CoV-2 infection could trigger post-infectious fatigue syndrome: not dissimilar to outcomes following other serious viruses (including earlier coronaviruses and meningitis)29.

We reported mean CFQ scores ranging from 4.25 to 5.00 among CFQ cases across follow-ups – comparable to 4.38 reported from a cross-sectional sample of 36 CYP attending a specialist chronic fatigue syndrome clinic in South East England30.

Detailed studies characterising the phenotypic features of these two diagnoses will aid understanding of their similarities and differences.
Click to expand...

I struggle to see the relevance of this paper. There is no comparison group, no baseline, and lots of sources of bias.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom