1. Long-COVID symptoms in pediatric end-stage kidney disease patients and controls: a single-center, cross-sectional descriptive study.
- Author
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Bulată-Pop, Irina, (Răchișan), Andreea-Liana Boț, Bulată, Bogdan, Aldea, Cornel, Delean, Dan, Cozma, Angela, Briciu, Violeta-Tincuța, Lupșe, Mihaela, and Junie, Lia-Monica
- Subjects
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SARS-CoV-2 , *CHRONIC kidney failure , *POST-acute COVID-19 syndrome , *EMERGING infectious diseases , *PEDIATRIC respiratory diseases - Abstract
Introduction. Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARSCoV2), the virus responsible for COVID-19, has profoundly impacted global health. As the pandemic progressed, so did the understanding of the longterm effects (longCOVID). Research in this area is incipient. Moreover, there is little data on highrisk populations, like chronic kidney disease (CKD) pediatric patients. The aim of our study was to focus on the pediatric endstage kidney disease (ESKD) population and to identify the prevalence of persistent symptoms corresponding to long COVID occurring in these children. Patients and methodology. We designed a prospective descriptive crosssectional study, including children with a positive SARSCoV2 test from 1 September 2021 to 30 April 2023. All patients undergoing dialysis and having COVID-19 were included. The control group was selected from the children admitted to another hospital in our town. A 1:1 ratio was chosen. A telephone interview using the International Severe Acute Respiratory and Emerging Infection Consortium (ISARIC) COVID-19 Health and Wellbeing Followup Survey for Children was performed. Results. Long-COVID symptoms were present in 44.4% of patients in the control group and in 88.8% in the ESKD group, with difficulty breathing and headache being the most frequently reported longlasting symptoms. Nevertheless, this did not impact the burden of disease as assessed by caregivers. Conclusions. Our study, first of this type, identified the presence of long-COVID symptoms in both groups. Despite the small number of cases included, these results yield the fact that more studies are needed, and we need to address the difficulties ESKD pediatric patients face. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2024