For some children, long COVID-19 is more difficult than having a virus-InForum

Minneapolis-Annabert has the same interests as most other 12-year-olds.

“Arts and crafts. I like animals. I like spending time with my family. I like playing video games,” she said.

What is her favorite movie? “Star Wars: New Hope.”

But under the surface of her wide smile, Anna said her physical condition was not the same since she was infected with COVID-19 in the fall of 2020.

Fatigue and severe abdominal pain caused by the virus never disappeared.

“I look normal, but I’m still in pain,” she said.

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Anna lives in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, but will stay in Minneapolis for a week in mid-March, and will be at the M Health Fairview’s Pediatric COVID Clinic, where she will visit frequently in the past year and a half. The we.

Her schedule included visits by a pain specialist to help manage headaches and body pain, and a gastrointestinal specialist for chronic stomach pain. In the past, she has seen a POTS cardiologist. This is a syndrome characterized by low blood flow and a sharp rise in heart rate.

Reservations for neurology, physiotherapy, and psychology were on schedule.

In some respects, Anna is fortunate to get her long COVID timely care. She entered the medical system when not many young patients were seeking this type of care.

Dr. Bazak Sharon, Medical Director of the Pediatric COVID Clinic at M Health Fairview, said:

Judy Griesedieck of MPR News

He said the latest wave of Omicron has surged demand for care in pediatric clinics. Now we have a waiting list.

Sharon said in his experience that children rarely experience long COVIDs as long as Anna has. However, her symptoms are more common in people with long COVIDs. And some estimates suggest that symptoms will be prolonged after about 20% of the population has surpassed the worst of the virus, he only expects to see more cases like Anna. am.

“It’s real, and the number will grow,” he said.

Anna’s life has changed dramatically since she developed a long COVID, said her mother, Jodibert.

“I think it was a new year of normal adaptation,” she said.

Jody Bart quit his job at homeschooling Anna this year because it was hard to attend classes all day long. For now, activities such as basketball and dance are out of the question.

Judy Griesedieck of MPR News

So Anna and Jody focus on what Anna can do instead.

“We are trying to focus positively on’cans’. So we try to have as much fun as possible, “Jody said.

Anna, for example, is swimming more to relieve pain. She started treating horses. And in addition to taking her medicine, she has worked hard to learn many ways to manage her symptoms through meditation, Reiki, and massage.

“On a less painful day, you might” go out and play in the snow. ” But on a really painful day, “I can stroke (the dog), stay up for a long time and read a book for a while,” Jody said of her daughter’s activities.

And Jody said Anna made an improvement.

“Initially, she couldn’t sit for a long time, so it’s still such a big problem that she can sit in a chair, as far as we’re talking. She has a long way to go. I’ve walked, “Jody said.

According to Sharon, Anna’s symptoms share many similarities with other post-viral illnesses such as chronic fatigue syndrome. This is a syndrome that has not been taken seriously in the medical community in the past.

“Chronic fatigue syndrome is uncommon, so most doctors have never experienced it or don’t know who has experienced it, so they don’t learn about it in medical school,” he said. rice field.

Judy Griesedieck of MPR News

Long COVID helped normalize the symptoms and helped medical professionals better understand the symptoms, Sharon said.

Children in particular are expected to bounce off soon after illness, said Dr. Matthew Armfield, medical director of pediatric pain and palliative care services at Sharon’s colleague M Health Fairview. And they learn to hide their discomfort well.

Therefore, it is one of the reasons why Armfield and his colleagues reveal to the patient that they believe in their symptoms.

“It’s very depressing to hear from a medical professional,’I don’t believe in you,'” he said. “Stress, anxiety-everything goes up, the pain gets worse, and it’s a very difficult cycle to break it off.”

Jody and Annabert recall their first conversation with Sharon in early 2021. He told Anna that she believed her symptoms were real.

“That meant everything,” Anna said. Other doctors told her that it was constipation or that it was in her head. She said, “Only those who believe in us feel great.”

During the visit, Anna and Armfield talked about the relationship between pain and stress.

Armfield asked Anna if she knew how pain could cause stress and anxiety.

“It removes your pain and depression and your anxiety from the chart, and then it goes back and forth,” Anna said.

Judy Griesedieck of MPR News

According to Armfield, the good news is that Anna is already doing a lot right. She has the ability to use physiotherapy and meditation to overcome pain. It’s difficult, but it helps. His goal is for Anna to return to school in the fall.

“It shows me that you are actually retraining your brain, and that’s what needs to happen,” he said. “It just takes time.”