Children and adolescents typically experience mild or asymptomatic acute COVID-19. However, a significant subset develop persistent symptoms, commonly termed long COVID or post-COVID condition. Definitions in pediatrics are inconsistent. Some frameworks differentiate ongoing symptoms lasting 4 to 12 weeks from post-COVID syndrome beyond 12 weeks, while others use long COVID as a general term. This variability matters because symptoms are diverse, may fluctuate, and are often misattributed to stress, disrupted schooling, or normal adolescent development. The research base is also highly heterogeneous in study design, follow-up duration, and case definitions.
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