Pulmonary function and long-term respiratory symptoms in children and adolescents after COVID-19
- \(\bf Background:\) Persistent respiratory symptoms after severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) in adults are frequent, and there can be long-term impairment of pulmonary function. To date, only preliminary evidence is available on persistent respiratory sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 in children and adolescents. Our objective was to examine the long-term effects of symptomatic and asymptomatic SARS-CoV-2 infections on pulmonary function in this age group in a single-center, controlled, prospective study. \(\bf Methods:\) Participants with serological or polymerase chain reaction-based evidence of SARS-CoV-2 infection were recruited from a population-based study of seroconversion rates. Multiple-breath washout (MBW), body plethysmography, and diffusion capacity testing were performed for children and adolescents. Participants were interviewed about their symptoms during the acute phase of infection and long-lasting symptoms. Cases were compared with SARS-CoV-2 seronegative controls from the same population-based study with and without history of respiratory infection within 6 months prior to assessment. Primary endpoints were differences in pulmonary function, including diffusion capacity and MBW, between participants with and without evidence of SARS-CoV-2 infection. Secondary endpoints included correlation between lung function and long-lasting symptoms as well as disease severity. \(\bf Findings:\) In total, 73 seropositive children and adolescents (5–18 years) were recruited after an average of 2.6 months (range 0.4–6.0) following SARS-CoV-2 infection. Among 19 patients (27.1%) who complained of persistent or newly emerged symptoms since SARS-CoV-2, 8 (11.4%) reported respiratory symptoms. No significant differences were detected in frequency of abnormal pulmonary function when comparing cases with 45 controls, including 14 (31.1%) with a history of previous infection (SARS-CoV-2: 12, 16.4%; controls: 12, 27.7%; odds ratio 0.54, 95% confidence interval 0.22–1.34). Only two patients with persistent respiratory symptoms showed abnormal pulmonary function. Multivariate analysis revealed reduced forced vital capacity (\(\it p\) = 0.012) in patients with severe SARS-CoV-2 infection. \(\bf Interpretation:\) Pulmonary function is rarely impaired in children and adolescents after SARS-CoV-2 infection, except from those with severe infection, and did not differ between SARS-CoV-2 and other previous infections, suggesting that SARS-CoV-2 is not more likely to cause pulmonary sequelae than other infections. The discrepancy between persisting respiratory symptoms and normal pulmonary function suggests a different underlying pathology such as dysfunctional breathing.
Author: | Leona KnokeGND, Anne SchlegtendalORCiDGND, Christoph MaierORCiDGND, Lynn Bernadette EitnerORCiDGND, Thomas LückeGND, Folke BrinkmannORCiDGND |
---|---|
URN: | urn:nbn:de:hbz:294-101840 |
DOI: | https://doi.org/10.3389/fped.2022.851008 |
Parent Title (English): | Frontiers in pediatrics |
Publisher: | Frontiers Media |
Place of publication: | Lausanne |
Document Type: | Article |
Language: | English |
Date of Publication (online): | 2023/09/26 |
Date of first Publication: | 2022/04/25 |
Publishing Institution: | Ruhr-Universität Bochum, Universitätsbibliothek |
Tag: | Open Access Fonds LCI; adolescents; children; dyspnea; pulmonary function |
GND-Keyword: | COVID-19; SARS-CoV-2 |
Volume: | 10 |
Issue: | Artikel 851008 |
First Page: | 851008-1 |
Last Page: | 851008-10 |
Note: | Article Processing Charge funded by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) and the Open Access Publication Fund of Ruhr-Universität Bochum. |
Institutes/Facilities: | Katholisches Klinikum Bochum, Klinik für Kinder- und Jugendmedizin |
Dewey Decimal Classification: | Technik, Medizin, angewandte Wissenschaften / Medizin, Gesundheit |
open_access (DINI-Set): | open_access |
Licence (English): | Creative Commons - CC BY 4.0 - Attribution 4.0 International |