25 Jan 2026 2 min read longcovid

How Long COVID Impacts Children’s Ability to Function and Attend School

A large U.S. study of more than 11,000 school-aged children found that those with long-lasting symptoms after COVID-19 were more likely to experience difficulties with daily functioning and to miss significant amounts of school due to illness.

Photo by CDC / Unsplash

Paper Title: Functional Limitations and Illness-Related Absenteeism among School-Aged Children with and without Long COVID, United States, 2022-2023.

Plain-Language Summary

A study investigated functional limitations and chronic absenteeism due to illness in school-aged children with and without long-lasting symptoms following COVID-19 infection. In a sample of 11,057 children aged 5-17 in the United States, about 1.4% experienced symptoms lasting over 3 months after COVID-19. Children with long COVID reported more functional difficulties like memory issues compared to those without long COVID. Having long COVID was linked to higher odds of missing significant amounts of school due to health reasons. The findings suggest that children with long COVID may face challenges in school attendance and daily functioning, possibly benefiting from school support.

Key Findings

Approximately 1.4% of school-aged children in the US experienced long COVID.
Children with long COVID reported more functional limitations, such as memory difficulties, compared to those without long COVID.
Having long COVID was associated with a higher likelihood of chronic absenteeism from school due to health reasons.
The study hints at the potential benefits of school accommodations to address functional limitations in children with long COVID.

Study Type

This study is a cross-sectional analysis conducted on a nationally representative sample of school-aged children in the US to explore the impact of long COVID on functional limitations and chronic absenteeism.

What This Means (and Doesn’t Mean)

The findings suggest that long COVID in children can lead to functional difficulties and increased school absenteeism. However, this study does not establish causal relationships between long COVID and these outcomes nor provide specific interventions for addressing long COVID-related challenges in children.

Source

PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41570188

Disclaimer

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