Non-hospitalised children and young people with long COVID (The CLoCk Study)

This research project aims to characterise symptoms typical of long COVID in non-hospitalised children and young people. It will also assess risk factors, prevalence and how long it lasts. This research will establish a medical diagnosis and operational definition of the condition, and look at how it might be treated. The researchers aim to enrol 6,000 children and young people in the study, in two equal size cohorts - consisting of 3,000 who have had a positive COVID-19 test, and 3,000 who have not. Participants will be asked whether they still have physical or mental problems at 3, 6,12 and 24 months afterwards infection. Comparisons will then be made between the two cohorts. Carers and children and young people taking part will be involved in co-production of this study, and encouraged to complete surveys. Results will be published, used to inform NHS services and health policy - and made available to participants. The study will provide data to help doctors to diagnose long COVID, establish how common it is, risk factors, and how long it goes on for