Post-Acute COVID Syndrome in Children

While statistics indicate that children have largely been spared from the worst effects of COVID-19, little is known about what causes a small percentage of them to develop serious illness. Pediatric providers are now reporting the emergence of downstream complications that mimic those seen in adults with post-acute COVID syndrome, or “long COVID.”

Listen to pediatric experts discuss long COVID

In this episode, Donna Curtis, MD, MPH/MSPH, and Rachel Workman, MD, join us as we consider how pediatricians can support patients who are dealing with the lingering effects of post-COVID syndrome.

Dr. Curtis is an infectious disease physician at Children’s Hospital Colorado and Associate Professor of Pediatrics and Infectious Diseases at the University of Colorado School of Medicine.

Dr. Workman runs the Integrative Medicine Clinic at Children’s Colorado and is Assistant Professor of Pediatrics at the University of Colorado School of Medicine.

In this episode, our experts discuss:

• Most common symptoms in pediatric patients with post-acute COVID
• Challenges of distinguishing post-acute COVID symptoms from new-onset illness
• Lessons learned from EBV post-viral syndrome
• Theories to explain the mechanisms of lingering COVID-19 symptoms
• Prevalence of post-acute COVID syndrome
• Prognosis and treatment approach for children with post-acute COVID symptoms
• Approaches for treating fatigue and insomnia in children
• Treating autonomic and gastrointestinal symptoms
• Cognitive impairment in children with post-acute COVID

Treatment of infectious diseases at Children’s Colorado

Our pediatric experts in the Infectious Disease Program at Children's Colorado provide a breadth of expertise ranging from laboratory-based research to the treatment and prevention of infectious diseases. Pediatricians can treat many infectious diseases, but when unique or different symptoms are present, it’s important to refer to a pediatric specialist. We are prepared and ready to treat patients with suspected or confirmed 2019 novel coronavirus. Our clinical staff has been specially trained on how to identify, isolate and treat patients with this and other contagious illnesses.