Children with symptoms of Covid-19 are usually cured after six days, according to a study published in the journal The Lancet Child & Adolescent Health.
The authors, including some from King’s College London, claim to have conducted the first extensive investigation into the subject.
“It is reassuring that the number of children who are experiencing long-term effects from Covid-19 is quite low,” said the paper's lead author, Emma Duncan.
The research was based on symptoms reported via an app by parents or relatives.
“In children, SARS-CoV-2 infection is usually asymptomatic or causes a mild illness of short duration,” the paper summarised, adding that persistent illness has been reported but that “its prevalence and characteristics are unclear.”
“Although COVID-19 in children is usually of short duration with low symptom burden, some children with COVID-19 experience prolonged illness duration. Reassuringly, symptom burden in these children did not increase with time, and most recovered by day 56.”
The researchers looked at a sample of 1,734 children aged between 5 and 17.
On average, they had three symptoms, including fatigue, headaches and loss of taste and smell.
It was rare for children to still have symptoms of their infection after four weeks (4.4% of cases).
After eight weeks, only 2% still had symptoms.
Most children recovered within a week.
Older children tended to be ill for slightly longer than younger children: between the ages of 12 and 17, they needed an extra week to recover, while younger children needed only five days.
The Brussels Times
