Results from an international consensus study, aimed at establishing a core outcome set for Long COVID in children and young people, have been published in the European Respiratory Journal. Members of the VERDI Consortium Claire Thorne, Maternal-Infant Working Group Lead, and Daniele Donà, Clinical Working Group Lead, contributed to the core outcome set by participating in the consensus study.

While most COVID-19 patients recover quickly, some, including children and young people, experience persistent or recurring symptoms – a condition that is commonly known as “Long COVID”. This consensus study, led by King’s College London in collaboration with the World Health Organization (WHO), brought together clinicians, researchers, young people with lived experience, as well as their families. The goal was to identify the main symptoms and measurement instruments for Long COVID in children and youth, a subject that has received less attention compared to adults.

The established core outcome set and associated measurement set will facilitate accurate identification and treatment of Long COVID in paediatric populations. This standardisation of Long COVID outcomes in children will not only improve the quality of new research studies, but also harmonise efforts across the scientific community, while advancing the understanding and management of this complex condition among children and young people.

Read the paper and press release by King’s College London.

** This is not a VERDI publication, but has received contributions from VERDI Consortium members. **