An Israeli study published late Monday found that over 11% of children who recovered from coronavirus suffered from long-COVID symptoms.
In a study conducted by the Health Ministry in June, it found that thousands of children have already been affected and 4.6% of them saw their symptoms last for more than six months.
The study that included a telephone questionnaire of 13,838 parents of children ages 3 to 18, showed a correlation between the age of the child and the risk for symptoms. For instance, older children, aged 12-18, appear to be more susceptible to long-COVID symptoms, compared to children aged 3-6.
The study also found that children of all ages, who suffered a symptomatic disease when infected with the virus, were more likely to present long-COVID symptoms.
In the meantime, social media platforms on Monday included posts from parents who said they were willing to allow their children to be infected by COVID in order to avoid the need to quarantine in the course of the school year. Health officials warned against such initiatives.
Some 50% of all new COVID cases during the current wave of the virus attributed to the Delta variant, are found in children
Meanwhile, health officials estimate the number of children quarantined for being ill with the virus or for coming into contact with infected patients is twice as high as the reported 150,000, with the reason being parents' alleged neglect to report their children's isolation to the Health Ministry.