Evidence map›Paper›PMID 37734886›Full record

ArticleBMJ open2023

Persistent symptoms and conditions among children and adolescents hospitalised with COVID-19 illness: a qualitative study.

Sarah E Messiah, Jackson Francis, Sitara Weerakoon, M Sunil Mathew, Sumbul Shaikh, Apurva Veeraswamy, Alejandra Lozano, Weiheng He, Luyu Xie, Dhatri Polavarapu and 2 more

Open access · goldAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in BMJ open, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 5 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
5citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
1.6field-weighted citation impact, top 15% 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

5 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 8 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Patient and Professional Perspectives on Long COVID: A Systematic Literature Review and Meta-Synthesis.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2025
    Pooled it
  2. Article
  3. Article
  4. "Clinical child psychology and psychiatry · 2024
    Article
  5. 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

12 authors at 4 institutions in 1 country.

Sarah E MessiahDepartment of Epidemiology, Human Genetics and Environmental Sciences, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston School of Public Health, Dallas, Texas, USA Sarah.E.Messiah@uth.tmc.edu.ORCID 0000-0001-6685-2175
Jackson FrancisCenter for Pediatric Population Health, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston School of Public Health, Dallas, Texas, USA.
Sitara WeerakoonCenter for Pediatric Population Health, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston School of Public Health, Dallas, Texas, USA.
M Sunil MathewCenter for Pediatric Population Health, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston School of Public Health, Dallas, Texas, USA.
Sumbul ShaikhChildren's Health System of Texas, Dallas, Texas, USA.
Apurva VeeraswamySouthern Methodist University, Dallas, Texas, USA.
Alejandra LozanoChildren's Health System of Texas, Dallas, Texas, USA.
Weiheng HeCenter for Pediatric Population Health, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston School of Public Health, Dallas, Texas, USA.
Luyu XieCenter for Pediatric Population Health, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston School of Public Health, Dallas, Texas, USA.ORCID 0000-0003-4499-0555
Dhatri PolavarapuCenter for Pediatric Population Health, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston School of Public Health, Dallas, Texas, USA.
Nabila AhmedCenter for Pediatric Population Health, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston School of Public Health, Dallas, Texas, USA.
Jeffrey KahnDepartment of Pediatrics, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas, USA.
The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston · USSouthern Methodist University · USThe University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center · USUniversity of Texas Health Science Center at Dallas · US

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

objectivesThere is limited in-depth research exploring persistent symptoms and conditions among children and adolescents who contracted COVID-19 illness that required hospitalisation. The main objective of this study was to conduct qualitative interviews among families who had a child hospitalised with COVID-19 illness to elucidate their child's physical, mental and social health outcomes months after initial acute infection. DESIGN, SETTING AND

participantsA qualitative study that composed of in-depth interviews among families with a child hospitalised with COVID-19 illness in one large urban US paediatric healthcare system. Parents (N=25) were recruited from an ongoing quantitative study to estimate the prevalence of long COVID in children hospitalised with COVID-19 illness. During in-depth interviews, parents were invited to describe their child's post-COVID-19 symptoms and experiences. Interviews were audiotaped, transcribed and coded in NVivo.

resultsSeven themes were identified concerning the child's prolonged COVID-19 experiences: (1) post-traumatic stress disorder, (2) social anxiety, (3) severe symptoms on reinfection, (4) worsened pre-existing conditions, (5) lack of insurance coverage for costly treatments, (6) access and utilisation of support systems and (7) overall resilience and recovery. Four parent-specific themes were identified: (1) fear of COVID-19 unknowns, (2) mixed messaging from health information sources, (3) schools being both a support system and a hindrance and (4) desire for and access to support systems.

conclusionsA subset of children who were hospitalised with COVID-19 illness are experiencing a range of serious mental health impacts related to persistent COVID-19 symptoms. Clinical and public health support strategies should be developed to support these children and their families as they reintegrate in school, social and community activities.

Indexed as

COVID-19AdolescentChildFearHumansInformation SourcesPost-Acute COVID-19 SyndromeQualitative ResearchCOVID-19INFECTIOUS DISEASESPaediatric infectious disease & immunisation

Identifiers

PMID37734886
PMCPMC10514629
OpenAlexW4386923815

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.