Photo Credit: iStock.com/Milica Zivkovic

Over one-fifth of children in New Zealand reported symptoms post COVID-19. These include fatigue, headaches, and anxiety highlighting the infection’s lasting impact on youth well-being.

Researchers conducted a retrospective study, published in June 2025 issue of Journal of Pediatrics and Child Health, to examine child and parent-reported health following Aotearoa, New Zealand’s (NZ) first widespread community transmission of SARS-CoV-2 in February 2022.

As per the study, investigators recruited participants aged 3–20 years from the NZ Health Survey who had consented to follow-up contact. Surveys were conducted by telephone between November 2022 and April 2023, either with individuals aged over 15 years or with guardians of younger children. Ordinal logistic regression was applied to assess the impact of COVID-19 infection on self-reported health outcomes.  

The results showed that 4,264 children and young adults participated, with 70.6% having tested positive for COVID-19 at least once (via polymerase chain reaction (PCR) or rapid antigen test (RAT). After infection, 24.5% experienced more frequent coughs, colds, or stomach bugs. Headaches were reported in 21.7%, fatigue in 20.6%, stomach aches in 14.6%, and new-onset anxiety in 13.1%. At baseline, self-rated health status did not differ significantly between those who later tested positive and those who did not (P= 0.5274). Post-transmission, those with a reported COVID-19 infection had a significantly higher likelihood of poorer self-rated health (P< 0.0001).  

Investigators concluded that more than one-fifth of children in Aotearoa, NZ, experienced persistent symptoms after COVID-19 infection, which adversely affected their daily lives. 

Source: onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/jpc.70104