Prevalence of Symptoms Associated With Long COVID Among Adolescents in the United States, Summer 2022

Limited information is known about long COVID among adolescents. This study compared the risks associated with symptoms among adolescents who tested positive, were tested but never tested positive, or who were never tested for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection.

Porter Novelli survey data were collected from adolescents (aged 12-17 years) from 31 May 31 through 6 July 2022. Respondents self-reported their SARS-CoV-2 test results and were classified accordingly by test status. Wald χ2 tests were used to determine whether demographic factors and characteristics related to symptoms differed by test status. Multivariable logistic regression models were used to estimate the odds of reporting (1) symptoms lasting 4 weeks or longer and (2) symptoms lasting 3 or more months by test status and SARS-CoV-2 variant period.

Data were collected from 784 respondents: 264 (34%) tested positive, 291 (37%) never tested positive, and 229 (29%) were never tested for SARS-CoV-2 infection. At least 1 symptom lasting ≥4 weeks was reported by 41% of the positive respondents, compared to 12% of negative respondents and 11% of never tested respondents (P < .05). The odds of reporting at least 1 symptom lasting ≥4 weeks did not vary by SARS-CoV-2 variant period. Adolescents who tested positive had increased odds of any neurological symptom lasting ≥3 months compared to negative adolescents.

Our results demonstrate that adolescents who tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 were more likely to report at least 1 symptom lasting for at least 4 weeks. However, most of these symptoms appeared to have resolved within 3 months.