Background In February 2023, the World Health Organization (WHO) defined long COVID in children, highlighting limited knowledge about its psychosocial impact. Studies show it as a complex, long-lasting condition affecting multiple systems. WHO and researchers emphasise the need for more understanding, particularly its effect on daily life. The aim of this study was to explore how life is experienced and how it changed whilst living with long COVID during childhood. Methods We present a qualitative study with an inductive and exploratory approach. Between October 2022 and March 2024, 16 children between 9 and 18 years old diagnosed with long COVID were interviewed face-to-face using a semi-structured interview guide. The results were analysed using reflexive thematic analysis by Braun and Clarke. Results The results present the subjective reality of children suffering from long COVID and their struggle in daily life. The findings are presented through three themes: Losing my foothold, Fatigue decides my path, and My way forward, illustrating a temporal and emotional journey, reflecting how children make sense of their experiences, adapt to the persistent impact of long COVID, and gradually move toward acceptance. Conclusions This study addresses the lack of knowledge of long COVID in the society, how it affects children in their struggle to find a new path in life. It also shows that, with knowledge and support, the symptoms and the burden of the condition can decrease or even pass. It is important that people around these children, including health care, school and family, use this knowledge to promote health and avoid educational, health and social problems at a vulnerable time in life.

Long COVID can upend the lives of those who have it—when you’re a student, it can be even harder

PolyBio Fall 2025 Symposium

LitCovid is a curated literature hub for tracking up-to-date scientific information about the 2019 novel Coronavirus.

With millions of people affected and at least $1 trillion of economic value at stake, long COVID is our next national health emergency

Background Since 2020, recognition of long COVID (post-acute sequelae of COVID-19) has prompted rapid multidisciplinary research across medicine, public health, psychology, and the social sciences. Th...

A new study finds the risks of developing long COVID declined over the first two years of the pandemic. But unvaccinated adults were more than twice as likely to get long COVID compared with those who...

This double-controlled study, incorporating pre- versus post-infection and uninfected symptom data, found a low risk of PCC among a community-dwelling adult population infected during the autumn 2023 ...