11-year-old Jack Coviello was so fatigued he had trouble putting in a full day at school and had to give up the activities he loves.
% of children who test positive for the SARS-CoV-2 virus go on to develop long COVID. That may not seem like a lot, but with an estimated 58 million American kids infected, it turns out that the actual number of kids with long COVID is staggering, says Dr. Alicia Johnston, co-director of Boston Children’s post-COVID clinic.
Jack’s first visit to the multidisciplinary clinic was in April and he had a follow-up in May. He’s waiting for tests that may shed more light on his symptoms and treatments that might help. In the meantime, he’s tried to play basketball and baseball, “but if he plays he sleeps for two days,” his mom says.
We don’t know what makes them better, so we just borrow from the adult literature, putting Band-Aids on the symptoms while giving the body time to heal.”It’s hard to know how to treat these kids because “honestly there is virtually nothing published on long haul symptoms in kids,” Krivchenia said. “We don’t know what makes them better, so we just borrow from the adult literature, putting Band-Aids on the symptoms while giving the body time to heal.