A new study, co-authored by doctors at Lurie Children’s Hospital, finds that children who catch COVID-19 a second time are about twice as likely to develop long COVID compared to those infected only once. The research adds fresh concern over lasting effects of repeated infections in young people.
The study examined medical records of more than 460,000 children and adolescents across 40 pediatric hospitals. Researchers looked at how many children developed long COVID symptoms after a first versus a second infection. They found that among children with two infections, the likelihood of persistent symptoms including fatigue, respiratory difficulties, and organ effects was roughly double the risk seen in children who had just one infection.
Importantly, this elevated risk remained even after adjusting for how severe the infections were or whether the children had been vaccinated. In other words, having a second infection alone was a strong risk factor for long COVID. The study’s authors caution that vaccination still plays a vital role: vaccinated children are less likely to become infected in the first place, and thus less likely to face repeat infection and its added risks.
The findings arrive amid debates over COVID-19 vaccination policies, especially for children, and add weight to calls for continued preventive measures in schools and communities. Some public health experts argue that repeated infections should not be dismissed as benign, even in younger populations.
Still, the authors acknowledge limitations. They note that some children may have had undetected infections, making it harder to classify whether they truly had one or two infections. Also, long COVID remains a complicated and evolving diagnosis with symptoms that vary widely.
Overall, the study suggests a need for caution. As repeated infections become more common in the era of new variants, parents, clinicians, and school systems may need to pay closer attention to warning signs of long COVID in children, especially after reinfection.
