The Impact of Post-COVID-19 Syndrome in Adolescents: A Pilot Study

Background: Post-COVID-19 syndrome has emerged as a long-term complication in adults and children; its effect on adolescents' performance in school is not well studied. Objectives: To study the physical/psychological impact of prolonged post-COVID-19 symptoms on school performance. Methods: This is a cross-sectional study using Google Forms, a web-based fully anonymized survey of children in grades 10-12. Results: The study included 54 students with a mean age of 16 years of whom 32 had COVID-19. Two were hospitalized and 10 had symptoms lasting more than four weeks. Commonly reported chronic symptoms were fatigue and cough. Seven students quit sports; eight had a decrease in their academic performance. Adolescents being infected more than once or not being fully vaccinated were more likely to develop prolonged symptoms and quit sports while academic performance in school was not affected. Three out of 10 (30%) students who had COVID-19 and responded to the questionnaire reported not seeking help. Conclusion: Post-COVID-19 syndrome is associated with a decline in physical but not mental performance in school. Being infected more than once with SARS-CoV-2 seems to play an important role in the persistence of post-COVID-19 symptoms despite the fact that some adolescents are hesitant to seek medical or psychological care.