[Mental health and pandemic in children and adolescents: what is likely to label as "long-covid"]

Recenti Prog Med. 2022 Mar;113(3):172-176. doi: 10.1701/3761.37482.
[Article in Italian]

Abstract

Long-covid is a typical condition of adults with a history of probable or confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection in the previous 3 months and with symptoms lasting over 2 months not explained by an alternative diagnosis. In pediatric age the lack of significative differences comparing the reported symptoms between seropositive and seronegative suggests that long-covid might be less common than previously thought, emphasizing the impact of pandemic-associated symptoms regarding the well-being and mental health of young adolescents. Many children-adolescents, who have had SARS-CoV-2 infection or not, have a health request to which we must respond with a professional approach aimed at a complex functional rehabilitation. The risk is that the "long-covid" becomes a "long-inattention" on relevant mental health problems.

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Adult
  • COVID-19* / complications
  • Child
  • Humans
  • Mental Health
  • Pandemics
  • Post-Acute COVID-19 Syndrome
  • SARS-CoV-2