Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome caused by Coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) emerged in late 2019 and has spread rapidly around the world, causing the pandemic illness known as COVID-19. The estimated global mortality rate is 1.1% and the severity of the disease increases with age. Mortality in the paediatric population is lower than in adults because the disease is less severe in this population, with mostly mild and asymptomatic cases. Although most people infected with SARS-CoV-2 recover completely, 10-20% of survivors may develop long-term persistent symptoms, a symptomatology known as post-COVID-19 or persistent COVID. Worldwide, considering that there have been more than 600 million infections, it is estimated that between 60 and 120 million people could suffer from persistent COVID. Specifically, in Catalonia, with 2.62 million infections, this would translate into between 200,000 and half a million people with persistent symptoms that may be disabling. This post-viral syndrome could be due to: i) chronic immune dysregulation and inflammation, ii) viral persistence and/or iii) long-term tissue damage due to autoimmunity. Most studies on the aetiopathogenesis are found in adults, making it necessary to study the paediatric population affected by persistent COVID. Furthermore, this affectation may have differential consequences in the paediatric population compared to the adult population, since this is a population that is in a vulnerable stage of life in the midst of growth and physical and neurocognitive development. The main objective of this project is to evaluate the causes and consequences of persistent COVID and to validate a personalised rehabilitation protocol in a recently established single paediatric cohort. The project should allow the definition of specific clinical guidelines and personalised treatment strategies that directly impact the quality of life of affected children and adolescents and their families.
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