Functional Recovery and Rehabilitation in Children and Adolescents with Long COVID: Symptom burden, Emotional well-Being, and Participation

Pediatric Long COVID is an emerging area of post-infectious health research involving persistent symptoms that may affect physical, cognitive, emotional, and social functioning. Although evidence in adults has expanded, children and adolescents remain underrepresented in the literature, and important questions remain regarding symptom trajectories, determinants of recovery, and the impact of Long COVID on everyday activities, education, family life, and participation. Existing studies report substantial variability in symptom burden, including fatigue, post-exertional malaise, cognitive difficulties, pain, sleep disturbances, and emotional health concerns. However, differences in case definitions, assessment methods, follow-up periods, and outcome measures make it difficult to compare findings and establish evidence-based rehabilitation pathways. Further research is needed to improve the identification and assessment of functional limitations, understand the experiences of children and families, and evaluate effective, interdisciplinary approaches to recovery and participation.

This Research Topic aims to advance understanding of functional recovery and rehabilitation in children and adolescents with Long COVID. It will address how persistent post-COVID symptoms influence quality of life, emotional well-being, daily functioning, education, and social participation, while exploring approaches that support meaningful recovery. Contributions may help clarify clinically relevant outcomes, identify appropriate patient-reported and proxy-reported measures, and strengthen the evidence base for occupational therapy, physiotherapy, psychological support, medical care, and interdisciplinary rehabilitation. The Research Topic also seeks to identify priorities for clinical practice, service development, and future research.

To gather further insights into the functional, emotional, educational, and participation-related consequences of Long COVID in children and adolescents, we welcome articles addressing, but not limited to, the following themes:

• Functional recovery and rehabilitation outcomes in pediatric Long COVID
• Assessment of activities of daily living, occupational performance, and participation
• Fatigue, post-exertional malaise, pain, sleep disturbances, and cognitive difficulties
• Emotional well-being, mental health, and psychosocial adjustment
• School attendance, educational support, and school reintegration
• Social participation, family functioning, and peer relationships
• Occupational therapy, physiotherapy, psychological, medical, and interdisciplinary interventions
• Patient-reported and proxy-reported outcomes
• Quality-of-life measures and instruments assessing real-life functioning
• Development, adaptation, and validation of assessment tools
• Longitudinal studies of symptom trajectories and functional recovery
• Lived experiences of children, adolescents, parents, caregivers, and healthcare professionals
• Equity, accessibility, and barriers to pediatric Long COVID rehabilitation services
• Clinical pathways, models of care, and implementation of rehabilitation programs

This Research Topic welcomes Original Research, Systematic Reviews (including scoping reviews), Clinical Trials, Mini Reviews, and Perspective articles.

Article types and fees

This Research Topic accepts the following article types, unless otherwise specified in the Research Topic description:

• Brief Research Report
• Case Report
• Classification
• Clinical Trial
• Community Case Study
• Data Report
• Editorial
• FAIR² Data
• General Commentary
• ... View all formats

Articles that are accepted for publication by our external editors following rigorous peer review incur a publishing fee charged to Authors, institutions, or funders.

Article types

This Research Topic accepts the following article types, unless otherwise specified in the Research Topic description:

• Brief Research Report
• Case Report
• Classification
• Clinical Trial
• Community Case Study
• Data Report
• Editorial
• FAIR² Data
• General Commentary
• Hypothesis and Theory
• Methods
• Mini Review
• Opinion
• Original Research
• Perspective
• Policy and Practice Reviews
• Policy Brief
• Review
• Study Protocol
• Systematic Review
• Technology and Code

Keywords: Pediatric Long COVID, functional recovery, rehabilitation, occupational participation, emotional well-being, school reintegration, quality of life, interdisciplinary care

Important note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.