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Threat of ‘long COVID' in children looms large
Studies find that some children still reel from persistent fatigue and other prolonged COVID-19 symptoms, months after they first tested positive.
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Children play in an alley of a densely populated area in Tanah Tinggi, Jakarta, on July 23, 2021. Many of the capital’s densely populated areas are hot spots for COVID-19 transmission. JP/Seto Wardhana (JP/Seto Wardhana)
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fter two years of living through COVID-19, little is still known in Indonesia about how to address the lingering effects of the coronavirus on survivors, long after they test negative for the infection.
But now there are concerns that the “long COVID” phenomenon could start affecting children, potentially complicating the recovery of the younger generation in a pandemic that has already cost them their education.
As authorities seek to ride out the third wave of infections on the back of improving vaccination coverage, there is still a massive lack of understanding about the condition, said Juno Sumorangkir, founder of the COVID Survivor Indonesia online community.
“Those impacted have had health complaints but are not aware it is actually long COVID. Most choose not to think about it or chalk it up to the common cold, but it requires more attention because symptoms can go on for months, if not years,” he told The Jakarta Post.
While studies conclude that the jury is still out on the prevalence of long COVID in children, a recent infection spike among minors could significantly heighten the risk.
Based on a recent Indonesian Pediatrician Association (IDAI) survey, the third wave of COVID-19 transmission driven by the Omicron variant has resulted in more infections among children and adolescents, particularly in regions outside of the heavily populated island of Java.
According to the group’s records, the number of cases involving minors rose 350-fold by Feb. 14 from just 70 cases reported in early January.
