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Rose Lehane Tureen, a 16-year-old high schooler from Maine, is a portrait of both achievement and struggle. Not only is she her class president, but she excels in various extracurricular activities including Irish step dancing, singing, cross-country running, and maintains a straight-A academic record. However, behind her impressive accomplishments is an ongoing battle with severe, long-lasting symptoms of COVID-19, which she contracted in early 2020.
Initially, the severity of her symptoms led Rose to the emergency room multiple times and required hospitalization. Alongside intense headaches and dizziness, she suffered from skin peeling, joint pain, difficulty regulating her body temperature, and distressing dreams. Despite these challenges, Rose made a conscious decision to continue pursuing happiness and fulfillment in her life, rather than succumbing to her illness.
Rose represents one of the estimated 5.8 million children in the United States dealing with long COVID, a condition that remains underdiagnosed, according to experts. A new National Institutes of Health-funded study aims to provide families with critical information on the most common symptoms of long COVID in school-aged children and teenagers.
This project, co-authored by Dr. Melissa Stockwell of Columbia University, highlights the unique way the virus affects young patients, differentiating from adults.
The study, which analyzed data from over 5,300 children across more than 60 U.S. healthcare facilities, found variations in symptoms by age group. Teenagers reported fatigue and sensory changes, while younger children tended to show cognitive and gastrointestinal disturbances. Treatment and research are further complicated by the fact that ongoing symptoms can be diverse and involve multiple organ systems.
Dr. Rachel Gross of the New York University Grossman School of Medicine emphasized that while the study has identified common symptoms, it doesn’t encompass all possible or severe symptoms children might experience. Rose herself experienced a significant delay in proper diagnosis and treatment until she found a specialized team at Boston Children’s Hospital.
The study opens up discussions on the need for ongoing research, especially with newer COVID-19 variants like omicron, and the necessity of specialized post-COVID clinics—resources that are dwindling despite the need. Rose, originally from California, relocated to Maine to be near Boston Children’s Hospital for regular treatment.
She and her family hope that continued research will bring much-needed attention and resources to combat long COVID, emphasizing that the virus’s impacts linger for many, particularly children. Despite the easing of pandemic restrictions, Rose stresses that for those like her dealing with long COVID, the struggle is far from over.