Post-Covid-19 condition (Long Covid) in children and young people 12 months after infection or reinfection with the Omicron variant: a prospective observational study

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Our previous study in children and young people (CYP) at 3- and 6-months post-infection showed that 12-16% of those infected with the Omicron (B.1.1.529) variant of SARS-CoV-2 met the research definition of Long Covid, with no differences between first-positive and reinfected CYP. The primary objective of the current study is to explore the impact of the Omicron variant of SARS-CoV-2 infection on young people 12 months post infection. 345 CYP aged 11-17 years with a first laboratory-confirmed infection with the Omicron variant and 360 CYP reinfected with the Omicron variant completed an online questionnaire assessing demographics, symptoms, and their impact shortly after testing and again at 3-, 6-and 12-months post-testing. Vaccination status was determined from information held at UKHSA. Comparisons between groups were made using chi-squared, Mann-Whitney U, and Kruskal-Wallis tests. The most common symptoms in first-positive and reinfected CYP 12-months post-testing were tiredness (35.7 and 33.6% respectively) and sleeping difficulties (27.5 and 28.3% respectively). Symptom profiles, severity and impact were similar in the two infection status groups. Overall, by 12-months, 17.4% of first-positives and 21.9% of reinfected CYP fulfilled the research consensus Long Covid definition (p = 0.13). 12-months post Omicron infection, there is little difference between first-positive and reinfected CYP with respect to symptom profiles and impact. Clinicians may not therefore need to consider number of infections and type of variant when developing treatment plans. Further studies are needed to assess causality of reported symptoms up to 12-months after SARS-CoV-2 infection.

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