Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41266487›Full record

ArticleScientific reports2025

Fatigue in children and young people up to 24 months after infection with SARS-CoV-2.

Alvin Richards-Belle, Roz Shafran, Natalia K Rojas, Terence Stephenson, Ewan Carr, Trudie Chalder, Emma Dalrymple, Kelsey McOwat, Ruth Simmons, Snehal M Pinto Pereira and 1 more

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Scientific reports, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing 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

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

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

11 authors.

Alvin Richards-BelleDivision of Psychiatry, University College London, Maple House, 149 Tottenham Court Road, London, W1T 7NF, United Kingdom. alvin.richards-belle.21@ucl.ac.uk.
Roz ShafranUCL Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, 30 Guilford Street, London, WC1N 1EH, United Kingdom.
Natalia K RojasDivision of Surgery & Interventional Science, Faculty of Medical Sciences, University College London, 170 Tottenham Court Road, London, W1T 7HA, United Kingdom.
Terence StephensonUCL Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, 30 Guilford Street, London, WC1N 1EH, United Kingdom.
Ewan CarrDepartment of Biostatistics & Health Informatics, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, 16 De Crespigny Park, London, SE5 8AF, United Kingdom.
Trudie ChalderDepartment of Psychological Medicine, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, 16 De Crespigny Park, London, SE5 8AF, United Kingdom.
Emma DalrympleUCL Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, 30 Guilford Street, London, WC1N 1EH, United Kingdom.
Kelsey McOwatImmunisations and Vaccine Preventable Diseases, UK Health Security Agency, 61 Colindale Avenue, London, NW9 5EQ, United Kingdom.
Ruth SimmonsImmunisations and Vaccine Preventable Diseases, UK Health Security Agency, 61 Colindale Avenue, London, NW9 5EQ, United Kingdom.
Snehal M Pinto PereiraDivision of Surgery & Interventional Science, Faculty of Medical Sciences, University College London, 170 Tottenham Court Road, London, W1T 7HA, United Kingdom. snehal.pereira@ucl.ac.uk.
CLoCk Consortium

Funding

National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) and UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) COV-LT-0022UK Medical Research Council MR/Y009398/1
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Persistent fatigue is common following acute SARS-CoV-2 infection. Little is known about post-infection fatigue trajectories in children and young people (CYP). This paper reports on a longitudinal analysis of the Children and Young People with Long COVID study. SARS-CoV-2-positive participants, aged 11-to-17-years at enrolment, responding to follow-ups at 3-, 6-, 12-, and 24-months post-infection were included. Fatigue was assessed via the Chalder Fatigue Scale (CFQ; score range: 0-11, with ≥4 indicating clinical case-ness) and by a single-item (no, mild, severe fatigue). Fatigue was described cross-sectionally and examined longitudinally using linear mixed-effects models. Among 943 SARS-CoV-2-positive participants, 581 (61.6%) met CFQ case-ness at least once during follow-up. A higher proportion of ever-cases (vs. never-cases) were female (77.1% vs. 54.4%), older (mean age 15.0 vs. 13.9 years), and met Post-COVID Condition criteria 3-months post-infection (35.6% vs. 7.2%). The proportion of CFQ cases increased from 35.0% at 3-months to 40.2% at 24-months post-infection; 15.9% meet case-ness at all follow-ups. Single-item mild/severe responses showed sensitivity (≥0.728) and specificity (≥0.755) for CFQ case ascertainment. On average, CFQ scores increased by 0.448 points (95% CI, 0.252 to 0.645) over 24-months, but there were subgroup differences (e.g., fatigue increased faster in females than males and improved slightly in those meeting Post-COVID Condition criteria 3-months post-infection while worsening in those not meeting criteria). Persistent fatigue was prominent in CYP up to 24 months after infection. Subgroup differences in scores and trajectories highlight the need for targeted interventions. Single-item assessment is a practical tool for screening significant severe fatigue.

Indexed as

COVID-19FatigueAdolescentChildCross-Sectional StudiesFemaleHumansLongitudinal StudiesMalePost-Acute COVID-19 SyndromeSARS-CoV-2Children and young peopleFatigueLong COVIDPost-COVID conditionSARS-CoV-2

Identifiers

PMID41266487
PMCPMC12635370

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.