New Delhi, June 13 (IANS) While children are largely thought to be less susceptible to Covid-19’s serious effects on the lungs, a global study has indicated that in children suffering from severe infection with SARS-COV-2 virus, the health risks may go beyond the acute viral infection and can harm the heart.

Scientists from Harvard University (US) and Murdoch University (Australia) analysed blood samples from 147 children across different Covid.

Their study identified significant metabolic disruptions that affect how the body processes fats (triglycerides and cholesterol) critical to healthy heart structure.

“This research challenges the widespread assumption that children are largely unaffected by Covid-19 based on the relatively mild respiratory effects,” said lead researcher Professor Jeremy Nicholson, Director of The Australian National Phenome Centre.

Using nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy and liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry, the team measured 1,101 metabolites.

The findings, published in the Journal of Proteome Research, showed that children with Covid and related MIS-C (Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in Children) had major shifts in blood metabolic patterns, some of which include shifts in cardiovascular disease risk markers.

MIS-C affects multiple organ systems and may cause considerable cardiac damage, including myocardial and vascular changes.

The similarities were found between the molecular signatures of MIS-C and Covid in children, with the MIS-C patients being more severely affected.

“A minority of children experience a more severe immunologically driven form of the disease (MIS-C) that is associated with longer-term gastrointestinal effects and cardiovascular disease,” said Nicholson.

Despite milder clinical respiratory symptoms, children’s metabolic disturbances mirrored those seen in severe adult Covid patients, indicating a shared inflammatory response to SARS-CoV-2, suggesting potential long-term health impacts.

“We now need to do more research into the possible longer-term effects of Covid-19 in children” added Professor Julien Wist from the varsity.

–IANS

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