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ISSN: 0031-3939
Pediatria Polska - Polish Journal of Paediatrics
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abstract:
Original paper

Long-COVID symptoms after multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children during different pandemic waves

Katarzyna Ptak
1
,
Marta Olszewska
1
,
Anna Olchawa-Czech
1
,
Aleksandra Wietecha
1
,
Kornelia Kukla
1
,
Marta Cisowska
1
,
Weronika Nedza
2
,
Małgorzata Czuba
3
,
Przemko Kwinta
1
,
Izabela Szymońska
1

  1. Department of Paediatrics, Jagiellonian University Medical College, Kraków, Poland
  2. University Children’s Hospital, Department of Paediatrics, Kraków, Poland
  3. Regional Center for Blood Donation and Blood Treatment, Kraków, Poland
Pediatr Pol 2024; 99 (4)
DOI: https://doi.org/10.5114/polp.2024.143119
Online publish date: 2024/10/14
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Introduction:
This study aimed to assess and compare the long-term non-cardiac complications of the multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C) triggered by consecutive variants of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2).

Material and methods:
Multisystem inflammatory syndrome in paediatric patients was assessed in the paediatric office at 4–12 and 12–24 weeks and then by a telephone survey at least 24 weeks after hospitalisation. During each follow-up, we obtained information regarding the prevalence of long-COVID symptoms, body mass index, COVID status, need for rehospitalisations, and any consultations with specialists. Additionally, we assessed the participant’s quality of life (QoL) using the KIDSCREEN-10 questionnaire over the phone.

Results:
A total of 116 patients with MIS-C (74 during Original/Alpha, 27 during Delta, and 15 during Omicron variant surges) admitted to the Children’s Hospital of Krakow between 1 November 2020 – 5 May 2023 were included in the analysis. Regardless of the follow-up period, the frequency and variation of most symptoms did not differ significantly between groups. The only difference was a higher frequency of fatiguability/weakness in the Original/Alpha group, during the 4–12-week follow-up (37.9% vs. 10.5% vs. 9.1%; p = 0.03). The multivariable regression revealed older age (OR = 1.13, 95% CI: 1.01–1.26, p = 0.03), but not the particular variant, as an independent factor for long-COVID. Additionally, the results of long-term follow-up (more than 24 weeks) showed above-average KIDSCREEN-10 scores despite a high incidence of long-COVID symptoms.

Conclusions:
The impact of individual SARS-CoV-2 variants appears to be less important on the onset of long-COVID symptoms than other factors, such as age. Long-term follow-up indicated an overdiagnosis of non-specific long-COVID symptoms, in the case that the QoL after MIS-C was non-inferior to the general paediatric population.

keywords:

quality of life, SARS-CoV-2, multisystem inflammatory syndrome, variants of concern