One of the best news we could receive this summer is that the percentage of children who suffer from persistent Covid, a pathology that leaves sequelae for months, is small.

The negative part is that, with the uncontrolled transmission that minors are suffering in Spain, this slight proportion could translate into thousands of children and adolescents who will start the course with physical or cognitive problems.

Many will not even know what is wrong with them.

“The treatment or monitoring of these children is complicated, because it is a new virus that is now emerging with these types of problems. We are continually learning to be able to address them ”, explains Fernando García-Sala, president of the Spanish Society of Out-of-hospital Pediatrics and Primary Care. "If a child has suffered from Covid three, four weeks ago, and we see that he

has a loss of appetite, eats less, is more tired, does not want to play

... It can indicate that there is a persistent Covid".

The Germans Trias i Pujol Hospital has been a pioneer in establishing a Unit dedicated to persistent Covid in children and adolescents. "At this time, there are

115

patients who have been treated," says Carlos Rodrigo, clinical director of Pediatrics at this center. “We have received requests from different Spanish communities, even from France. As far as I know, it is the only well-structured Unit, with all the capabilities ... although it

is going to overwhelm us at any moment,

"he warns.

In Spain,

625,739

people

have been infected

during the month of July. It is estimated that 10% of cases in the general population can develop persistent Covid. In children, that percentage could drop to

4.4%

, according to a new study published today by

The Lancet Child & Adolescent Health

. Research, conducted in the UK, has fortunately shown that "long-term illness after SARS-CoV-2 infection appears

less common in children than in adults

." In fact,

98.2%

of the children studied, all of whom passed the infection symptomatically, had recovered within eight weeks.

But unfortunately, there is a small percentage that will be affected.

The British study has followed 1,734 minors, between the ages of five and 17, who had suffered a contagion, and concluded that “some children (4.4%)

experienced symptoms after four weeks

, with an average of two persistent symptoms ", Among which are" fatigue, headache and loss of sense of smell. "

"They are children who are not feeling well, they have relationship problems because they leave home less, they find themselves with asthenia, muscle aches, they do less sport ...

All this makes their relationship with their peers diminish

and they have a significant problem" , describes García-Salas.

According to the Carlos III Health Institute, in the three weeks that go from July 5 to 25,

15,761

people between five and nine years old

have been infected in Spain

, and

101,178

between 10 and 19 years old. Applying the percentage of 4.4%, and only among those under 20 years of age who have tested positive in those three weeks, it is obtained that more than 5,000 of them will suffer prolonged symptoms. Others will have had the virus without knowing it.

“Children who have persistent Covid have had very slight forms of Covid, or had not even known about it. In many cases, we have made the diagnosis later, ”says Rodrigo, who recalls that his Unit has seen a patient who is only five years old. "But it is absolutely exceptional, most are over 12", he clarifies. «The important thing is to recognize it.

Not believing that they are lazy, or that they have become bad students

. There are situations in which, perhaps, the child is punished for not doing homework, or for not wanting to go out to play, "he adds.

"Just by acknowledging that he exists, he does not know the joy that parents get, and children!", Continues Rodrigo. «

By admitting that it is true, we have a lot of cattle

. And then we individualize. If the fundamental problem is headache, we act selectively on the pain; if it is fatigue, we do rehabilitation; We do psychometric tests on all of them, to see their response capacity, loss of concentration, memory ... ».

«So the team of neuropsychologists does neurocognitive rehabilitation to improve all those abilities.

There is not a single medicine that is useful for this

, but you have to talk, explain, reassure as much as you can ... », says Dr. Rodrigo. «When we cannot heal, we have no choice but to rehabilitate. What does not work well, try to make it recover », he adds. «It is important that it is known that this exists, that people do not think that if a child or adolescent catches the virus, it does not matter. It does not necessarily matter, you can have problems, "he emphasizes.

“Now there are a lot of infected children.

We have never had so many children in the ER with Covid

. They are not serious forms, but there are many. We do not know if it is the delta variant, it is a possibility, but we believe that it has more to do with the behavior of parents and society ”, Rodrigo considers. There is no zero risk. Although they are few, there are children in hospitals and children who have died, "intervenes Dr. García Salas, who also points to one of the most worrying symptoms of persistent Covid: severe headaches.

"We are seeing headaches in adolescents four and five months after having suffered a Covid," he describes. "What worries us most is that, with the usual medication that we give for headaches, we cannot solve them," adds García-Salas. “Sometimes we have to go to stronger medications through the neurologist.

There are children we have to send to the neurologist for treatment

. But it is quite frustrating, because, sometimes, we do not succeed, "he laments.

“In time they will heal;

But when a patient comes to us with this problem, we cannot tell him the time, because it varies from one person to another, ”says García-Salas.

"It is very variable," Rodrigo agrees, adding: "

Some have been since the first wave of the pandemic

."

It clarifies, however, that "the general tendency is for them to improve", especially if they receive an adequate diagnosis and treatment.

1,468.62

Incidence.

Cases between the ages of 12 and 19 continue to skyrocket.

In Spain, the cumulative incidence in this age group in the last 14 days is 1,468.62 cases per 100,000 inhabitants.

What percentage will suffer from persistent Covid?

"

I hope it is not 1%,

" says Dr. Rodrigo, alluding to the disparate data that different studies have reflected.

"

1% is already impressive to me

," he says.

According to the criteria of The Trust Project

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