The long-term effects of COVID-19 are more prevalent in children.

Though many have stated children are less at risk, long COVID can and does affect children. The exact prevalence, however, is still unknown.

Though many have stated children are less at risk, long COVID can and does affect children. The exact prevalence, however, is still unknown. As the U.K.'s Office for National Statistics states, there is no universally agreed definition of long-haul COVID or long COVID. However, long COVID is known to encompass symptoms such as fatigue, muscle pain, difficulty concentrating, brain fog, headache, and palpitations.

In October 2020, the COVID Symptom Study stated that one in 20 COVID patients were likely to suffer from long COVID. The app reported that, according to its data, "the more symptoms a person had in the first week, the more likely they were to go on to develop long COVID" and that "older people are much more likely to get long COVID than younger people."

The Office for National Statistics has also stated that children are less at risk.

But long COVID can and does affect children. The issue is, as New Scientist has explained, most long COVID research is based on adults: "There is less information about under-18s," Natalie Lambert at Indiana University School of Medicine told the magazine, "in part because it takes longer to get ethical approval to study children."

According to Long Covid Kids – an advocacy, support, and research group – long COVID often manifests in children as stomach issues, chest pain, headaches, rashes, and fatigue.

The COVID-19 pandemic has given rise to a lot of potentially dangerous misinformation. For reliable advice on COVID-19, including symptoms, prevention, and available treatment, please refer to the World Health Organization or your national healthcare authority.