Children are also facing long-term effects of COVID-19

Long-term effects of COVID-19 infection are affecting the health of some children and teens, as well as adults. While most children with COVID-19 infection have mild symptoms or have no symptoms at all, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says anyone who has had COVID-19 ― even if the illness was mild or if they had no symptoms ― can have long-term effects.

"This concept of long COVID-19, or long-haulers, refers to a subgroup of people who get COVID-19 infection. Instead of recovering within a couple of weeks of their infection, they go on to have symptoms, usually for weeks or months afterward," says Dr. Nipunie Rajapakse, a pediatric infectious diseases physician at Mayo Clinic.

"This doesn't happen to everyone," explains Dr. Rajapakse. "But it certainly is now well-described in some people who develop this infection. And we're trying to understand why it happens to some people and not to everyone. It's certainly well-described in adults, and we are now hearing of cases in kids. The teenage age group seems to be the most significantly impacted."

__________________________________________________

For the safety of its patients, staff and visitors, Mayo Clinic has strict masking policies in place. Anyone shown without a mask was recorded prior to COVID-19 or recorded in an area not designated for patient care, where social distancing and other safety protocols were followed.