Risk of long COVID in Children May be Twice as High After a Second Infection: Study Reveals - Video

A new study published in The Lancet Infectious Diseases reveals that children and adolescents who were reinfected with COVID-19 during the Omicron wave had more than twice the risk of developing long COVID compared to those who experienced a single infection. The research involved over 460,000 young individuals across 40 pediatric hospitals in the United States, making it the largest study to date examining long-term outcomes of COVID-19 reinfection in children.

The study analyzed electronic health records from January 2022 to October 2023-a period dominated by the highly contagious Omicron variant. By comparing health outcomes after first and second documented COVID-19 infections, researchers aimed to isolate the specific risks associated with reinfection.

The researchers found that within six months of their first infection, approximately 904 children per million developed long COVID. This figure surged to 1,884 children per million after a second infection. The elevated risk remained consistent across subgroups, regardless of vaccination status, age, sex, race, or ethnicity, as well as underlying conditions like overweight and obesity.

Reinfections were associated with a range of rare but serious post-COVID complications including myocarditis (heart inflammation), blood clots, kidney injury, cognitive difficulties, chronic fatigue, and respiratory issues. These outcomes underscore the long-term impact reinfections may have on the pediatric population.

“The increased risk of long COVID following reinfections highlights the continued importance of preventing COVID-19 infections through vaccination and other protective measures such as masking and social distancing,” the authors noted.

While vaccines may not eliminate the risk of infection entirely, they remain the most effective tool for reducing both initial and repeat infections—thereby lowering the risk of persistent symptoms. The researchers call for renewed public health efforts to boost COVID-19 vaccination rates among children and adolescents, emphasizing prevention as key to safeguarding long-term health.

Reference: Long COVID associated with SARS-CoV-2 reinfection among children and adolescents in the omicron era (RECOVER-EHR): a retrospective cohort study, Zhang, Bingyu et al. The Lancet Infectious Diseases, Volume 0, Issue 0