Symptom patterns and life with post-acute COVID-19 in children aged 8-17: a mixed methods studyprotocol

Background While there is a substantial body of knowledge about acute COVID-19, less is known about long-COVID, where symptoms continue beyond four weeks.

Aim This study aims to describe longer-term effects of COVID-19 infection in children and young people (CYP) and identify their needs in relation to long-COVID.

Design & setting This study comprises an observational prospective cohort study and a linked qualitative study, identifying participants aged 8–17 years in the West Midlands of England.

Method CYP will be invited to complete online questionnairesto monitor incidences and symptoms of Covid-19 over a 12-month period. CYP who have experienced long-term effects of COVID will be invited to interview, and those currently experiencing symptoms will be asked to document their experiences in a diary. Professionals who work with CYP will be invited to explore the impact of long-COVID on the wider experiences of CYP, in a focus group. Descriptive statistics will be used to describe the incidence and rates of resolution of symptoms, and comparisons made between exposed and non-exposed groups. Logistic regression models will be used to estimate associations between candidate predictors and the development of long-COVID, and linear regression will be used to estimate associations between candidate predictors. Qualitative data will be analysed thematically using the constant comparison method.

Conclusion This study will describe features and symptoms of long-COVID and explore the impact of long-COVID within the lives of CYP and their families, to provide better understanding of long-COVID and inform clinical practice.