Concern over youngsters with lengthy Covid and theories on its trigger | Letters

We have been to examine life with lengthy Covid and our hearts exit to the youngsters described, and all of the victims of this situation (Childhood, interrupted: 12-year-old Toby’s life with long Covid, 12 June). Nevertheless, docs are nonetheless debating the causes of lengthy Covid. We’re involved in regards to the science behind the “microclots” speculation as a reason for lengthy Covid and have examined it academically.

The proof base for “microclots” inflicting lengthy Covid is tenuous to say the least: the research shows these particles are found in normal individuals and other conditions. This makes it unlikely that they’re the reason for lengthy Covid. Certainly, the particles usually are not really clots; they’re small particles of a protein known as amyloid, which aren’t concerned in blood clotting.

We examined the current published work recently and concluded that there is no such thing as a proof to counsel that remedy with blood-thinning medication (also referred to as anticoagulants) is efficient. These medication can have critical side-effects, which raises moral considerations if they’re used exterior well-conducted scientific randomised trials. We needed to state these items in order that people with lengthy Covid have a balanced view of what the present scientific proof exhibits. We’d like extra analysis on the reason for lengthy Covid and we welcome approaches that have in mind a broad understanding of the condition.
Prof Beverley Hunt
Kings Well being Care Companions
Dr Rebecca Kuehn and Prof Paul Garner
Liverpool Faculty of Tropical Drugs

Like Toby, whose case is described in your article, my son is 12 and has had lengthy Covid since 2021. He suffered the identical fatigue and post-exertional malaise as Toby, however a radical change to his weight loss plan has made an enormous distinction to his well being. By way of trial and error, we now have discovered his “protected meals”, which he has to stay to religiously. If he eats even a tiny little bit of one thing that’s not “protected”, the fatigue comes again. Now, most days, his vitality is nice and he is ready to go to highschool and even do PE, one thing we couldn’t think about one 12 months in the past.
Emily McCarthy
Cambridge

My son has lengthy Covid after turning into in poor health aged 11, early on within the pandemic, and having had leg pains and reminiscence points ever since. An extra virus, probably Covid once more, final September, left him housebound, giddy, with little vitality, and affected by non-restorative sleep and post-exertional malaise. His faculty organized some on-line classes for him in English and maths.

Now 16, having not been properly sufficient to take a seat GCSEs, I uncover that from September, if he’s too unwell to attend faculty or school in individual, there is no such thing as a schooling provision in any respect and no different however to pay for on-line tuition and examination entry. He was turned down for an schooling, well being and care plan evaluation. It can’t be proper.
Penny Joelson
Potters Bar, Hertfordshire

My son was 10 when he contracted persistent fatigue after a really critical bout of influenza B that noticed him in hospital for per week, paralysed from the armpits down. Again in 2012, there was no assist and largely we simply waited. With the bodily and psychological ache he endured, my son’s continuous chorus was: “I simply wish to be regular and go to highschool.”

I need the household you interviewed to know that my son is now 21 and at college finding out mechanical engineering, and thriving. I might say it was a mix of time and a really decided younger boy.
Jane Cox
Anstruther, Fife