Functional state of the cardiovascular system in children after COVID-19

Abstract

Introduction. The new coronavirus infection (COVID-19) in children often occurs in a mild, moderate, or asymptomatic. After experiencing COVID-19, some children, as well as adults, had persistent symptoms over more than 12 weeks and could not be explained by alternative diagnoses. These changes are called Post-acute COVID-19 Syndrome (PACS, post-COVID-19 syndrome or post-covid syndrome). Clinical manifestations of post-covid syndrome in children are very diverse, there are combinations of autonomic, psycho-emotional, cognitive and somatic disorders, including disorders of the cardiovascular system. 
 Aim: analysis of changes in the functional state of the cardiovascular system in children in the post-covid period.
 Materials and methods. The study included one hundred thirty one child aged of 5 to 17 years 11 months 29 days (mean age 12 years [9.5; 15]). The observed children were divided into 2 groups: group 1 (main) — children who had a mild new coronavirus infection (n = 76). The comparison group consisted of children who did not have COVID-19, suffered from acute respiratory viral infections of unspecified etiology of a mild course (n = 55). All children were analyzed for medical history, underwent clinical examination, electrocardiographic examination (ECG), echocardiographic examination (ECHO-KG), 24-hour Holter ECG monitoring and 24-hour blood pressure (BP) monitoring.
 Results. Children who have had COVID-19 are significantly more often showed sinus tachycardia (p = 0.025), extrasystole (supraventricular, ventricular) (p = 0.046), atrioventricular blockade of the 2nd degree (p = 0.027) compared with children with ARVI. After undergoing COVID-19, in 19.7% of children an increase in blood pressure was detected, in 15.8% of children there was a significant decrease in blood pressure at night (p = 0.008). In 38.2% of children after COVID-19, there was a decrease in the activity of the parasympathetic division of the nervous system.
 Conclusion. Children who have had a new mild coronavirus infection were shown to undergo a clinical examination with a mandatory assessment of blood pressure, heart rate and an ECG 3 and 6 months after the illness.