Abstract

K. R. Sathya Ramanan, R. Santhoshkumar, N. Venkateswaramurthy*

ABSTRACT

Background: While the majority of individuals recover from COVID-19 without any long-term complications, a subset of patients continues to experience persistent symptoms even after the acute phase of the illness has resolved. Extensive research has been conducted on post-COVID syndrome in adults, elucidating its prevalence, clinical characteristics, and potential mechanisms. However, limited studies have focused on the occurrence of this syndrome in children. Therefore, the objective of this study was to comprehensively evaluate and compare the clinical features and outcomes of post-COVID syndrome in both children and adults. Aim: This study aimed to compare and evaluate the manifestation of post-COVID syndrome in children and adults, while contrasting the available data between these two populations. Methodology: A retrospective and prospective cohort study was conducted over a period of six months at tertiary care hosptilals in Erode. The study included a sample of 99 individuals aged between 4 and 56 years. Statistical analysis was performed using the Chi-square test with GraphPad Prism V.9.4.1. Results: The findings revealed that a majority of affected individuals were children, particularly females. In contrast, no significant gender difference was observed in the development of post-COVID syndrome among adults. Interestingly, the majority of children (77.7%) received their vaccination after recovering from COVID-19, while 20% remained unvaccinated until the end of the study. These factors influenced the severity of post-COVID syndrome in children when compared to adults. Conclusion: In conclusion, the occurrence of post-COVID syndrome in the post-pandemic era remains comparable to previous reports. However, our study suggests a slight increase in the incidence of post-COVID syndrome in children under certain circumstances. Moreover, children appear to be more susceptible to gastrointestinal issues, cardiovascular complications, ophthalmological symptoms, and orthopedic difficulties associated with post-COVID syndrome.