Evidence map›Paper›PMID 36410813›Full record

ArticleBMJ open2022

Persistent symptoms after SARS-CoV-2 infection in children: a cross-sectional population-based serological study.

Roxane Dumont, Mayssam Nehme, Elsa Lorthe, Carlos De Mestral, Viviane Richard, Helene Baysson, Francesco Pennacchio, Julien Lamour, Claire Semaani, María-Eugenia Zaballa and 7 more

Open access · goldAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in BMJ open, 2022. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
0.4field-weighted citation impact, top 37% of its field
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

2 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 3 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

17 authors at 2 institutions in 3 countries.

Roxane DumontUnit of Population Epidemiology, Division of Primary Care Medicine, Geneva University Hospitals, Geneva, Switzerland.
Mayssam NehmeDivision and Department of Primary Care Medicine, Geneva University Hospitals, Geneva, Switzerland.ORCID 0000-0001-9189-6495
Elsa LortheUnit of Population Epidemiology, Division of Primary Care Medicine, Geneva University Hospitals, Geneva, Switzerland.
Carlos De MestralUnit of Population Epidemiology, Division of Primary Care Medicine, Geneva University Hospitals, Geneva, Switzerland.
Viviane RichardUnit of Population Epidemiology, Division of Primary Care Medicine, Geneva University Hospitals, Geneva, Switzerland.
Helene BayssonUnit of Population Epidemiology, Division of Primary Care Medicine, Geneva University Hospitals, Geneva, Switzerland.ORCID 0000-0003-0916-6958
Francesco PennacchioUnit of Population Epidemiology, Division of Primary Care Medicine, Geneva University Hospitals, Geneva, Switzerland.
Julien LamourUnit of Population Epidemiology, Division of Primary Care Medicine, Geneva University Hospitals, Geneva, Switzerland.
Claire SemaaniUnit of Population Epidemiology, Division of Primary Care Medicine, Geneva University Hospitals, Geneva, Switzerland.
María-Eugenia ZaballaUnit of Population Epidemiology, Division of Primary Care Medicine, Geneva University Hospitals, Geneva, Switzerland.
Nick PullenUnit of Population Epidemiology, Division of Primary Care Medicine, Geneva University Hospitals, Geneva, Switzerland.
Anne PerrinDivision of General Pediatrics, Department of Woman, Child, and Adolescent Medicine, Geneva University Hospitals, Geneva, Switzerland.ORCID 0000-0002-2023-3157
Arnaud G L'HuillierDivision of General Pediatrics, Department of Woman, Child, and Adolescent Medicine, Geneva University Hospitals, Geneva, Switzerland.
Klara Maria Posfay-BarbeDivision of General Pediatrics, Department of Woman, Child, and Adolescent Medicine, Geneva University Hospitals, Geneva, Switzerland.
Idris Guessous *Division and Department of Primary Care Medicine, Geneva University Hospitals, Geneva, Switzerland.
Silvia Stringhini *Unit of Population Epidemiology, Division of Primary Care Medicine, Geneva University Hospitals, Geneva, Switzerland silvia.stringhini@hcuge.ch.ORCID 0000-0002-4387-8943
Specchio-COVID19 study group
University Hospital of Geneva · CHUniversity of Geneva · CH

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

objectivesTo estimate the prevalence of children and adolescents reporting persistent symptoms after SARS-CoV-2 infection.

designA random sample of children and adolescents participated with their family members to a serological survey including a blood drawing for detecting antibodies targeting the SARS-CoV-2 nucleocapsid (N) protein and a questionnaire on COVID-19-related symptoms experienced since the beginning of the pandemic.

settingThe study took place in the canton of Geneva, Switzerland, between June and July 2021. PARTICIPANT: 660 children aged between 2 and 17 years old. PRIMARY AND SECONDARY OUTCOME: The primary outcome was the persistence of symptoms beyond 4 weeks comparing seropositive and seronegative participants. The type of declared symptoms were also studied as well as associated risk factors.

resultsAmong seropositive children, the sex-adjusted and age-adjusted prevalence of symptoms lasting longer than 2 weeks was 18.3%, compared with 11.1% among seronegatives (adjusted prevalence difference (ΔaPrev)=7.2%, 95% CI: 1.5% to 13.0%). Among adolescents aged 12-17 years, we estimated the prevalence of experiencing symptoms lasting over 4 weeks to be 4.4% (ΔaPrev,95% CI: -3.8% to 13.6%), whereas no seropositive child aged 2-11 reported symptoms of this duration. The most frequently declared symptoms were fatigue, headache and loss of smell.

conclusionsWe estimated the prevalence of experiencing persistent symptoms lasting over 4 weeks to be around 4% among adolescents, which represents a large absolute number, and should raise awareness and concern. We did not observe meaningful differences of persistent symptoms between seropositive and seronegative younger children, suggesting that they may be less affected than their older counterparts.

Indexed as

COVID-19AdolescentChildChild, PreschoolCross-Sectional StudiesHumansPandemicsResearch DesignSARS-CoV-2epidemiologypaediatric infectious disease & immunisationpublic health

Identifiers

PMID36410813
PMCPMC9679867
OpenAlexW4309530794

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY-NC
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.