August 3, 2021

Study looking at how common long-lasting symptoms from COVID-19 are in children

Scientists from King’s College London using data from the COVID Symptom Study smartphone app (ZOE/KCL) have done a study looking at how quickly children who test positive for COVID-19 recover, and how common it is for children to have long-lasting symptoms (beyond four weeks).

The study analysed data from 1,734 children who tested positive for COVID-19 between September 2020 and February 2021, and symptoms were reported by a parent or carer through the COVID Symptom Study app (ZOE/KCL).  The study has been published in The Lancet Child & Adolescent Health.

Journalists dialled in to this briefing to hear from the scientists who carried out the study.

Speakers included:

Prof Emma Duncan, lead and senior author of the study and Professor of Clinical Endocrinology, King’s College London

Dr Michael Absoud, a senior author of the study and Evelina London Consultant & Senior Clinical Lecturer in the Department of Women & Children’s Health, King’s College London

This Briefing was accompanied by an SMC Roundup of Comments.