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Long Covid ‘Symptoms’ in Teens are No Less Common in Those Who Haven’t Had the Virus – Study

by Will Jones
17 May 2021 5:45 PM

The risk of long Covid – the persistence of Covid symptoms like fatigue and headaches for three months or more – has been used to justify health interventions including with younger people who are not at elevated risk from acute infection. For instance, Health Secretary Matt Hancock suggested in April that young people should get vaccinated to avoid long Covid, saying Covid was a “horrible disease” and long Covid affected people in their 20s “just as much” as any other age group, sometimes with “debilitating side effects that essentially ruin your life”.

New research, however, casts doubt on whether symptoms attributed to long Covid are really associated with COVID-19 at all, at least in adolescents.

The study, which has yet to be peer-reviewed, is the first (as far as the authors are aware) to compare the incidence of long Covid symptoms in those who have and have not had the virus, defined in terms of having detectable antibodies. It involved 1,560 secondary school pupils aged 13 to 18 in Eastern Saxony (median age 15) enrolled in the SchoolCovid19 study since May 2020. All have been tested for antibodies throughout the study and in March and April 2021 completed a 12 question long-Covid survey regarding “the occurrence and frequency of difficulties concentrating, memory loss, listlessness, headache, abdominal pain, myalgia/arthralgia, fatigue, insomnia and mood (sadness, anger, happiness and tenseness)”.

The findings are remarkable. Of 1,560 pupils, 1,365 (88%) were seronegative (no IgG antibodies detected) and 188 (12%) were seropositive. Each of the long Covid symptoms was present in at least 35% of the pupils within the seven days before the survey. Crucially, however, there was no statistically significant difference in reported symptoms between seropositive and seronegative pupils (see chart above).

These findings suggest that, in adolescents at least, the prevalence of long Covid is considerably exaggerated, and that the presumed symptoms of long Covid are common to those who have and have not had the virus. One possibility is that this is a background rate for teenagers. However, the authors are struck by the high incidence of the symptoms and suggest they may be linked to the lockdown conditions, saying they confirm “the negative effects of lockdown measures on mental health and well-being of children and adolescents”.

Because the study was only among adolescents it did not include any who had suffered severe illness or been hospitalised, which is where some earlier research on long Covid has focused.

For adolescents it suggests that the threat from long Covid has been greatly overdone, and that the apparent symptoms of the condition are much more likely to be caused by lockdowns than by a viral infection.

Tags: Lockdown harmsLong CovidYoung People

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23 Comments
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Julian
Julian
4 years ago

Thanks Mr Jones – great article.

4
-1
Bella Donna
Bella Donna
4 years ago

Hypochondria in most cases. Fact – A lot of people like being ill!

21
-1
RickH
RickH
4 years ago
Reply to  Bella Donna

Not necessarily.

3
-2
SweetBabyCheeses
SweetBabyCheeses
4 years ago
Reply to  Bella Donna

So what is it in the other cases – genuine long covid?! I think you’ve missed the point. These poor teens are suffering from boredom, isolation, enforced mask wearing, loneliness, frustration, despair etc. Would make anyone feel a bit peaky.

6
-1
chris c
chris c
4 years ago
Reply to  Bella Donna

My theory, which is mine and belongs to me, is that the mitochondria are damaged, which happens after many other viral infections among other things.

It takes time to regrow effective mitochondria, and of course things like fasting (to remove the dead ones) and a ketogenic diet (to grow new ones) are things no-one much will recommend.

I know a load of people who developed Type 1 diabetes and other autoimmune diseases after flu and measles infections. Has anyone seen this happen after covid? I suspect the “vaccines” might also do this

0
0
wendy
wendy
4 years ago

“Covid is a horrible disease”

I am sure it is for some but for most it is minor I think. Those I know who had positive tests a few only lost sense of taste and smell, others mild headache, others, including myself, though a year ago so not tests then, had a flu type illness which knocked us out but I have definitely had worse illnesses.

This is all coercion and pressure to vaccinate everyone which is not necessary.

21
0
BurlingtonBertie
BurlingtonBertie
4 years ago
Reply to  wendy

I agree with you! But for some it is vile & for others who have had a seemingly innocuous dose of Covid, long covid develops (I had a middling case of covid, secondary pneumonia which nearly did for me & long covid – currently functioning at ~10% pre infection level.
The pressure, coercion & downright bullying to vaccinate those least at risk of serious side effects is abhorrent.

7
0
Occamsrazor
Occamsrazor
4 years ago
Reply to  wendy

Agree totally. I don’t know anyone at all who had it badly and almost everyone I know had it. One particular drama queen thinks she was at death’s door but I suspect most of her symptoms came from health anxiety and she was sorted after a few days of bedrest.
It just isn’t horrible, any more than flu, or norovirus (far more horrible in my book). This is just a continuation of the lie.

8
0
Paul Barbara
Paul Barbara
3 years ago
Reply to  wendy

‘…This is all coercion and pressure to vaccinate everyone which is not necessary.’
But if they don’t use coercion and pressure, how can they reach their set Depopulation targets, and ‘justify’ their draconioan NWO Great Reset regulations?

0
0
mwhite
mwhite
4 years ago

post viral syndrome has been known about for years

Post-viral syndrome: Symptoms, causes, and treatment (medicalnewstoday.com)

“Almost any viral infection can trigger post-viral syndrome, including:

  • common cold
  • flu
  • pneumonia
  • Epstein-Barr virus
  • herpes
  • HIV

Post-viral syndrome may be more prevalent or apparent in people with weakened immune systems.”

Nothing new

10
0
RickH
RickH
4 years ago

I think most of us have known that the reporting has been about the well-known post-viral syndrome – as well as opportunistic latching onto unspecific symptoms. Another Scary Fairy developed to bulk out the narrative.

14
0
ebygum
ebygum
4 years ago
Reply to  RickH

And don’t forget while you’re out with long covid your Willie doesn’t work either, according to yesterday’s story!😁

2
0
RickH
RickH
4 years ago

Oh dear! It’s not your grandfather you’ll turn into – just another senile drivelling duggie if you’re not careful. 🙂

2
-4
Annie
Annie
4 years ago
Reply to  RickH

Join the club, Friedrich, and we’ll drivel together.

7
0
Lowe
Lowe
4 years ago

So the conclusion I draw is that teenagers are teenagers with all the angst that teenagers have.
Excellent! It’s good to know plus ça change, plus c’est la même chose.

6
0
Occamsrazor
Occamsrazor
4 years ago

I don’t think there’d be quite so much ‘long covid’ if you had to go out and farm a field to eat or walk a few miles to get your water. Not saying it doesn’t exist but a lot of our illnesses are diseases of affluence.

15
0
John
John
4 years ago

Some of the symptoms of long covid are also symptoms of stress.

4
0
Noumenon
Noumenon
4 years ago
Reply to  John

Every single symptom in the graph can be stress.

1
0
TreeHugger
TreeHugger
4 years ago
Reply to  Noumenon

Or hormone related.

2
0
peyrole
peyrole
4 years ago

Used to be known as teenage angst. Very common disease in pimply adolescents, especially if no-one fancies them this week.

5
0
IanC
IanC
4 years ago

We have mostly all had a ‘virus’ at some time in our lives, whether it be a cold, flu, or whatever, that simply won’t go away, it just seems to linger and linger, no one knows why. Is it just that we were or are on a low at the point of infection? Overtired? Poor diet? Lack of sleep? A hypochondriac? Who knows?
You should check out the symptoms for ME/CFS! Spookily, remarkably similar to long COVID. In fact, Long COVID is the perfect tag for ME/CFS which has been around for decades. Along with ‘long colds’ long flu’ ‘long whatever’. Jeez, there are some gullible Homo Bovinuses out there!

Last edited 4 years ago by VAX FREE IanC
1
0
chris c
chris c
4 years ago
Reply to  IanC

Ah thank you, that was the one I was trying and failing to remember

0
0
Paul Barbara
Paul Barbara
3 years ago

There is a possible explanation not covered – they could be suffering from jabs (maybe not, because of age) or shedding. Already huge damage has been done to people who have had the jabs and survived. Their ‘immune system’ has been holed below the water-line – it is just a matter of time. Every further ‘booster’ is another step towards the grave.

0
0

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