The dissertation is devoted to the problem of long-term consequences of
COVID-19 in children, which can be manifested by impaired tolerance to physical
activity (TPA), quality of life (QoL), post-COVID-19 development, changes in
magnesium status, and affect the functional state of the respiratory, cardiovascular, and
nervous systems. An important medical and social task of modern pediatrics is the
timely diagnosis of these changes and the development of appropriate treatment and
rehabilitation measures for health status improvement of children suffered from
COVID-19.
The purpose of the research is to improve the diagnosis and optimize treatment
and rehabilitation measures for school-age children who have had COVID-19, based
on clinical, instrumental, and biochemical parameters, assessment of functional
reserves of the cardiovascular system during exercise, and the level of quality of life in
the period of more than 12 weeks after COVID-19.
The objectives of the research are as follows:
1. To provide a clinical characterization of the health status and evaluate the
results of the Ruffier test in school-age children in the period of more than 12 weeks
after coronavirus disease;
2. Determine the indicators of maximum oxygen consumption and myocardial
reserves of school-age children in the period of more than 12 weeks after COVID-19
according to the results of the cycle ergometer test;
3. To study the quality of life of school-age children in the period of more than
12 weeks after COVID-19;
4. To evaluate the level of magnesium in the blood serum of school-age children
in the period of more than 12 weeks after coronavirus disease, taking into account the
severity of COVID-19, and the condition of tolerance to physical activity.
5. To develop recommendations for improving tolerance to physical activity and
quality of life of school-age children after COVID-19.
A total of 155 children aged 6 to 18 years participated in the study. Among them
were 120 children who had COVID-19 (the main group) and 35 practically healthy
children who had not been ill with COVID-19 (the control group). The distribution of
children in the intervention group was based on the severity of transferred COVID-19.
Children with mild COVID-19 formed I group (n=49). II group included children who
had moderate COVID-19 (accompanied by pneumonia, SpO2≥94%) (n=40), and III
group included children who had severe COVID-19 (pneumonia with signs of
respiratory failure (RF), SpO2<94%) (n=31).
This research design was approved by the Commission on Bioethical Expertise
and Scientific Research Ethics of Bogomolets National Medical University (Kyiv,
Ukraine).
The following research methods were used: clinical (analysis of anamnesis data,
objective examination, assessment of complaints and detection of post-COVID-19
symptoms, Ruffier test), instrumental (electrocardiography (ECG), cycle ergometer
test (CET)), questionnaire (assessment of QoL using the PedsQL 4.0. questionnaire,
assessment of the consequences of transferred COVID-19 using the «Long-COVID
Paediatric Survey» questionnaire, assessment of fatigue level by the Chalder Fatigue
Scale), laboratory (complete blood count, biochemical blood count, and determination
of serum magnesium level), statistical (MedStat, EZR statistical packages).
