The European respiratory journal

A standard set of key outcomes for studying and treating long COVID in children and young people.

Updated

Abstract

A consensus study involved 214 participants from 37 countries to develop a core outcome set for evaluating post-COVID-19 condition in children and young people.

  • The final core outcome set (COS) includes seven critical outcomes: fatigue, post-exertion symptoms, work/occupational and study changes, and functional changes related to cardiovascular, neuro-cognitive, gastrointestinal, and physical outcomes.
  • Measurement instruments were selected for four outcomes, with the PedsQL multidimensional fatigue scale designated for fatigue, PedsQL gastrointestinal symptom scales for gastrointestinal outcomes, PedsQL cognitive functioning scale for neurocognitive outcomes, and EQ-5D for physical functioning.
  • Consensus was not reached for measurement instruments for three additional core outcomes: cardiovascular, post-exertional malaise, and work/occupational and study changes.
  • The initiative aims to provide a structured approach for consistent evaluation and reporting of post-COVID-19 health outcomes in children and young people.

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Full Text

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Funding

Competing interests

Conflict of interest: D. Munblit is a Co-Chair of International Severe Acute Respiratory and Emerging Infection Consortium (ISARIC) Global Paediatric Long COVID Working Group, member of ISARIC working group on long-term follow-up in adults. C. Apfelbacher reports grants or contracts from Dr Wolff Group, Bionorica and The European Cooperation in Science and Technology (COST); he also acknowledges consulting fees from the Dr Wolff Group, Bionorica, Sanofi and LEO Pharma; he serves as a Co-Chair Harmonising Outcome Measures for Eczema (HOME) initiative and is Co-Chair of the Hand Eczema Core Outcome Set (HECOS) initiative and is core principal investigator of the KUNOKids Health Study (Regensburg, Germany). J.V. Diaz is the lead of the clinical management response pillar for COVID-19 and in that capacity convenes the WHO Clinical Characterization and Management Research working group; the Post COVID-19 COS steering committee was a sub-working group of this bigger group. O.L. Aiyegbusi has received research grants from UCB, Kidney Research UK, Gilead Sciences Ltd, The Health Foundation, NIHR Birmingham BRC, NIHR ARC, NIHR BTRU, Innovate UK, Merck, GSK, Anthony Nolan and Sarcoma UK; he has also received personal fees from GSK, Gilead Sciences, Innovate UK and Merck. C.R. Oliveira receives grant support from the National Institutes of Health (NIH), grant numbers OT2HL161847 and K23AI159518. P.R. Williamson is chair of the Core Outcome Measures in Effectiveness Trials (COMET) Management Group. Other authors declare that they have no competing interests.
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