Evidence map›Paper›PMID 39215197›Full record

ArticlePediatric research2025

Post COVID-19 conditions in an Australian pediatric cohort, 3 months following a Delta outbreak.

Philip N Britton, Rebecca Burrell, Emily Chapman, Julia Boyle, Shirley Alexander, Yvonne Belessis, Jacqueline Dalby-Payne, Katherine Knight, Christine Lau, Brendan McMullan and 6 more

Abstract read
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in Pediatric research, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing papers in PubMed
–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

2 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Review
  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

16 authors.

Philip N BrittonThe Children's Hospital at Westmead Clinical School, Sydney Medical School, the University of Sydney, Westmead, NSW, Australia. philip.britton@health.nsw.gov.au.
Rebecca BurrellThe Children's Hospital at Westmead Clinical School, Sydney Medical School, the University of Sydney, Westmead, NSW, Australia.
Emily ChapmanIntegrated Care team, virtual KIDS- COVID-19 Outpatient Response Team, Sydney Children's Hospitals Network, Westmead, NSW, Australia.
Julia BoyleMatilda Centre for Research in Mental Health and Substance Use, the University of Sydney, Camperdown, NSW, Australia.
Shirley AlexanderWeight Management Services, the Children's Hospital at Westmead, Sydney Children's Hospitals Network, Westmead, NSW, Australia.
Yvonne BelessisDepartment of Respiratory Medicine, Sydney Children's Hospital, Randwick, Sydney Children's Hospitals Network, Randwick, NSW, Australia.
Jacqueline Dalby-PayneDepartment of General Medicine, the Children's Hospital at Westmead, Sydney Children's Hospital Network, Westmead, NSW, Australia.
Katherine KnightDepartment of Psychological Medicine, the Children's Hospital at Westmead, Sydney Children's Hospital Network, Westmead, NSW, Australia.
Christine LauIntegrated Care team, virtual KIDS- COVID-19 Outpatient Response Team, Sydney Children's Hospitals Network, Westmead, NSW, Australia.
Brendan McMullanSchool of Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Health, the University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia.
Bronwyn MilneDepartment of Adolescent Medicine, the Children's Hospital at Westmead, Sydney Children's Hospital Network, Westmead, NSW, Australia.
Marilyn PaullDepartment of Adolescent Medicine, the Children's Hospital at Westmead, Sydney Children's Hospital Network, Westmead, NSW, Australia.
Jonathan NguyenIntegrated Care team, virtual KIDS- COVID-19 Outpatient Response Team, Sydney Children's Hospitals Network, Westmead, NSW, Australia.
Hiran SelvaduraiThe Children's Hospital at Westmead Clinical School, Sydney Medical School, the University of Sydney, Westmead, NSW, Australia.
Russell DaleThe Children's Hospital at Westmead Clinical School, Sydney Medical School, the University of Sydney, Westmead, NSW, Australia.
Andrew BaillieThe University of Sydney School of Health Sciences the University of Sydney, Camperdown, NSW, Australia.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundPediatric long COVID remains incompletely understood with scant Australian data available. We aimed to assess the impacts of the 2021 Delta variant of SARS-CoV-2 outbreak on symptoms and functioning 12 weeks post-acute infection in a cohort of children and adolescents.

methodsThe parents/carers of 11,864 patients with PCR-confirmed SARS-CoV-2 were invited, via email or text message, to complete an online survey assessing symptoms and functional impairment.

findings1731 (17.6%) responded to the survey. 203 (11.7%) reported continued symptoms and/or functional impairment which were flagged for clinical review, all others reported recovery. Of the 169 subsequently clinically reviewed, 63 had already recovered (37.3%) and 17 had exacerbation of pre-existing condition(s) (10.1%); 63 (37.3%) were diagnosed with a Post COVID Condition (PCC). Of these, 21 (12.4%) were considered to have features compatible with the United Kingdom consensus cases definition for Long COVID.

interpretationDuring an outbreak of SARS-CoV-2 an online questionnaire with subsequent clinical review revealed self-reported non-recovery at 12 weeks in a minority of cases, with a spectrum of features. Long COVID comprised only a subset of cases with self-reported non-recovery, and is infrequent in children and adolescents, but still comprises a likely significant burden that warrants attention. IMPACT: Our study provides the only comprehensive estimate of the frequency and spectrum of post-COVID conditions in children from Australia. The high frequency of self-reported recovery, and low frequency of Long COVID compatible illness adds to the literature from other settings. Risk factors for post-COVID conditions in children are identified and include: age >11 year, and previous medical co-morbidity.

Indexed as

COVID-19SARS-CoV-2AdolescentAustraliaChildChild, PreschoolCohort StudiesDisease OutbreaksFemaleHumansInfantMalePost-Acute COVID-19 SyndromeSurveys and Questionnaires

Identifiers

PMID39215197
PMCPMC12119362

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
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.