Evidence map›Paper›PMID 34813820›Full record

SynthesisThe Journal of infection2022

Persistent symptoms following SARS-CoV-2 infection amongst children and young people: A meta-analysis of controlled and uncontrolled studies.

S A Behnood, R Shafran, S D Bennett, A X D Zhang, L L O'Mahoney, T J Stephenson, S N Ladhani, B L De Stavola, R M Viner, O V Swann

Abstract readMeta-AnalysisSystematic Review
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Synthesis in The Journal of infection, 2022. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 144 papers, 17 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
144citing papers in PubMed, 17 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

144 citing papers in PubMed, 17 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.

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  2. Global prevalence of post-COVID-19 condition: a systematic review and meta-analysis of prospective evidence.Health promotion and chronic disease prevention in Canada : research, policy and practice · 2025
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  3. Definitions and symptoms of the post-COVID syndrome: an updated systematic umbrella review.European archives of psychiatry and clinical neuroscience · 2025
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  15. Short and Long-Term Wellbeing of Children following SARS-CoV-2 Infection: A Systematic Review.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2022
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84 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

10 authors.

S A BehnoodUsher Institute of Population Health Sciences and Informatics, The University of Edinburgh, United Kingdom.
R ShafranUCL Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, United Kingdom.
S D BennettUCL Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, United Kingdom.
A X D ZhangUCL Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, United Kingdom.
L L O'MahoneyDiabetes Research Centre, University of Leicester, Leicester, United Kingdom.
T J StephensonUCL Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, United Kingdom.
S N LadhaniImmunisation and Countermeasures Division, Public Health England Colindale, United Kingdom; Paediatric Infectious Disease, St. George's Hospital London, United Kingdom.
B L De StavolaUCL Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, United Kingdom.
R M VinerUCL Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, United Kingdom.
O V SwannDepartment of Child Life and Health, University of Edinburgh, United Kingdom; Royal Hospital for Children, Glasgow, United Kingdom. Electronic address: Olivia.Swann@ed.ac.uk.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundData on the long-term impact of SARS-CoV-2 infection in children and young people (CYP) are conflicting. We assessed evidence on long-term post-COVID symptoms in CYP examining prevalence, risk factors, type and duration.

methodsSystematic search of published and unpublished literature using 13 online databases between 01/12/2019 and 31/07/2021. Eligible studies reported CYP ≤19 years with confirmed or probable SARS-CoV-2 with any symptoms persisting beyond acute illness. Random effects meta-analyses estimated pooled risk difference in symptom prevalence (controlled studies only) and pooled prevalence (uncontrolled studies also included). Meta-regression examined study characteristics hypothesised to be associated with symptom prevalence. Prospectively registered: CRD42021233153.

findingsTwenty two of 3357 unique studies were eligible, including 23,141 CYP. Median duration of follow-up was 125 days (IQR 99-231). Pooled risk difference in post-COVID cases compared to controls (5 studies) were significantly higher for cognitive difficulties (3% (95% CI 1, 4)), headache (5% (1, 8)), loss of smell (8%, (2, 15)), sore throat (2% (1, 2)) and sore eyes (2% (1, 3)) but not abdominal pain, cough, fatigue, myalgia, insomnia, diarrhoea, fever, dizziness or dyspnoea. Pooled prevalence of symptoms in post-COVID participants in 17 studies ranged from 15% (diarrhoea) to 47% (fatigue). Age was associated with higher prevalence of all symptoms except cough. Higher study quality was associated with lower prevalence of all symptoms, except loss of smell and cognitive symptoms.

interpretationThe frequency of the majority of reported persistent symptoms was similar in SARS-CoV-2 positive cases and controls. This systematic review and meta-analysis highlights the critical importance of a control group in studies on CYP post SARS-CoV-2 infection.

Indexed as

COVID-19AdolescentChildFatigueFeverHeadacheHumansSARS-CoV-2Children and young peopleCOVID-19Long COVIDPaediatricPost-COVID syndromeSARS-CoV-2

Identifiers

PMID34813820
PMCPMC8604800

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.