[Recommendation for standardized medical care for children and adolescents with long COVID]

Abstract

This current consensus paper for long COVID complements the existing AWMF S1 guidelines for long COVID with a detailed overview on the various clinical  aspects of long COVID in children and adolescents. Members of 19 different  pediatric societies of the DGKJ convent and collaborating societies together  provide expert-based recommendations for the clinical management of long COVID  based on the currently available but limited academic evidence for long COVID in  children and adolescents. It contains screening questions for long COVID and  suggestions for a structured, standardized pediatric medical history and  diagnostic evaluation for patients with suspected long COVID. A time and  resource-saving questionnaire, which takes the clinical complexity of long COVID  into account, is offered via the DGKJ and DGPI websites as well as additional  questionnaires suggested for an advanced screening of specific neurocognitive  and/or psychiatric symptoms including post-exertional malaise (PEM) and myalgic  encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS). According to the individual  medical history as well as clinical signs and symptoms a step by step diagnostic  procedure and a multidisciplinary therapeutic approach are recommended.