Long COVID in Young Children: Study Reveals Age-Specific Symptoms and Health Risks

A new study from Mass General Brigham, published in JAMA Pediatrics, reveals that long COVID symptoms in young children can differ significantly from those in adults and older kids. As part of the NIH-funded RECOVER initiative, researchers found that infants and preschoolers who had COVID were more likely to experience lingering health issues months after infection.

In infants and toddlers (under age 2), the most common symptoms included trouble sleeping, fussiness, poor appetite, stuffy nose, and cough. Preschool-aged children (ages 3–5) were more prone to dry cough and daytime fatigue.

“This study is important because it shows that long COVID symptoms in young children are different from those in older children and adults,” said co-author Dr. Tanayott (Tony) Thaweethai of Massachusetts General Hospital. “Children with these symptoms often had worse overall health, lower quality of life, and delays in development.”

Researchers examined 472 infants/toddlers and 539 preschoolers across more than 30 U.S. healthcare settings between March 2022 and July 2024. They compared COVID-positive children with those never infected. Long COVID was identified in 14% of infants/toddlers and 15% of preschool-aged children.

Co-senior author Dr. Andrea Foulkes emphasized that the patterns identified can guide future research and care. “The tools from this study can be used in future studies to better understand long COVID in young children and develop ways to care for them.”

The authors caution that their findings are research-based and not for clinical diagnosis.

Reference: Gross, R. S., et al. (2025). Characterizing Long COVID Symptoms During Early Childhood. JAMA Pediatrics. doi.org/10.1001/jamapediatrics.2025.1066.