Many children wake up in the morning with barely enough energy to start the day. School becomes challenging, and leisure activities are difficult to enjoy. It is often unclear whether and when their health will return to normal.
Some children and adolescents experience varying degrees of symptom intensity. Sometimes the symptoms are less pronounced; other times, they are more severe. There are periods when they can go to school and be active, and periods when they are largely confined to bed.
Why diagnosis is difficult in children
Diagnosing Long COVID in children can be challenging because a prior infection with SARS-CoV-2 cannot always be confirmed. Often, there is no clear indication of a prior infection because many children exhibit only mild or no acute symptoms and were not tested. Consequently, establishing a link to a previous infection in retrospect is often difficult.
Additionally, the clinical picture is highly variable. Many symptoms are nonspecific or difficult to describe, particularly in younger children. Young children are often unable to name symptoms such as "fatigue" or "brain fog," which complicates the assessment.
It is also typical for symptoms to fluctuate and occur in episodes, further complicating classification.
Some of the most common complaints among children include:
- Fatigue and severe exhaustion
- Exercise intolerance/post-exertional malaise (PEM).
- Difficulty concentrating and memory problems ("brain fog")
- Headaches
- Sleep disturbances
- Muscle and joint pain
- Abdominal and digestive complaints
- Shortness of breath and rapid pulse
- Reduced exercise tolerance (e.g., unable to participate in sports)
- Difficulties in school
- Mood swings or depressive symptoms
How common is Long COVID in children ?
It is particularly difficult to obtain reliable figures for Switzerland due to the lack of systematic national surveys. As with adults, this is due to varying definitions and research methods. Furthermore, PCR tests were often not performed on children.
Patient organizations estimate that up to 18,000 children and adolescents may be affected. This figure is based on international studies and projections.
Healthcare in Switzerland
The healthcare situation remains complex and inadequate in many areas. For instance, the post-COVID clinic at the Children’s Hospital Zurich closed in April 2025, and many places lack comprehensive, standardized services.
Access to appropriate support measures is often even more difficult for children and adolescents than for adults because specialized services are less common and experience in treatment is limited.
Consequently, many families must independently determine which specialists, therapies, and rehabilitation services are appropriate. Keeping track of all this can be very stressful, especially since they also want to ensure their loved ones receive the right care.
The following summary from FOPH provides an overview of existing services:
Consulting hours and rehabilitation treatments
Burden on families
Long-term effects of the virus affect not only the child, but also the entire family. Parents often have to reduce their work hours, or even leave the workforce entirely, to provide care. The dual burden of caregiving, organization, and work can lead to financial and psychological stress. This is why psychological support is important, as Long COVID has physical, emotional, and social consequences.
Additionally, Long COVID can have implications under social security law. For children, support is typically provided indirectly through their parents. For instance, parents unable to work due to caring for their child may be eligible for wage replacement, a so-called care allowance, under certain circumstances.
Both official information resources and supplementary, practical guidance are available to help navigate potential entitlements and support services. These resources can help individuals better understand the system.
Further information:
- FOPH / (BUE) Information Sheet on Care Allowance: Link
- Long COVID Kids / Information on insurance and tips from parents: Link
Families may find it helpful to reach out to insurance experts early on to clarify which support options are available.
Education and social participation
Children and adolescents have the right to an education. However, Long COVID can make that significantly more difficult. In addition to the academic demands it places on students, Long COVID poses considerable challenges for schools and teachers. Furthermore, the condition can be stressful for affected children in their daily social lives. For example, they may experience prolonged absences, limited participation in class, and difficulty keeping up with their classmates and social circle.
The FOPH has encouraged school administrators, teachers, and school specialists to create an information sheet. An interdisciplinary group of experts developed this sheet, which is available here: Link
Research and outlook
The body of research on long-term effects of the virus in children is currently very limited. There is a lack of large-scale, reliable, long-term studies. Consequently, it is unclear whether and how quickly affected children and adolescents recover.
A British study examined 12,632 young people with long Covid and found that about 70% of 11-17year olds recover within two years, while approximately 30% continue to experience symptoms.
In the long term, however, more systematic research and structured care networks are needed to provide children and adolescents with appropriate care and treatment options, improve their quality of life, and deepen our understanding of the condition.
