Asthenic disorder in adolescents in 12 months after COVID-19: clinical and laboratory correlates

Background. The most persistent manifestation of post-COVID syndrome in children is asthenia, which often becomes chronic. The relevance of this study is due to the insufficiently studied mechanisms of its chronization and, consequently, the limited data on prevention methods, necessitating an assessment of the condition of children who have had COVID-19 after 6–12 months. Objective. To analyze clinical and laboratory correlates of asthenic disorder in adolescents in 12 months after COVID-19. Materials and methods. A prospective study including adolescents aged 12 to 17 years inclusive who have had laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 12 ± 2 months previously was conducted. The Asthenia Assessment Scale of L.D. Malkova was used to assess asthenia. A.M. Prikhozhan Personality Anxiety Scale, M. Kovacs Child Depression Questionnaire were used to assess affective disorders. A.M. Vein Vegetative Disorders Questionnaire was used to assess autonomic dysfunction. Attention was assessed using the Pieron–Ruser method and the Bourdon test. Results. Asthenia was observed in 16 % of adolescents 12 months after COVID-19. It is significantly more frequent in girls than in boys. Logistic regression analysis showed that the severity of symptoms of depression and signs of autonomic dysfunction were independent predictors of the development of asthenia 12 months after COVID-19. This model explained 36 % of the variability of this phenomenon. Conclusion. In summary, asthenia 12 months after COVID-19 is little connected with past infection. Depressive symptoms and autonomic dysfunction may be considered as targets for prevention of chronification of asthenia after COVID-19.