While most children bounce back from COVID-19 quickly, and some never show symptoms at all, other children are struggling with long-haul effects. For them, symptoms can stick around for a month or more, affecting everything from their mood to their mobility.

The cause of long-haul COVID-19 is still a mystery. Doctors say more than 10% of COVID-19 survivors will experience lingering symptoms, including young kids.

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Patients have traveled to Chapel Hill from as far as New York and Florida for treatment at the UNC COVID Recovery Clinic.

Wednesday Lynch, 13, has suffered extreme fatigue for 14 straight months.

“[It's] to the point where she would fall asleep if she was down on the floor petting the dog," said her mother, Melissa Lynch. "She couldn’t stay awake for virtual classes a lot of time.”

The once-active cheerleader has relapsed 26 times, developing lumps and rashes – and even seizures.

“It has worn on her a lot, both physically and mentally," said Lynch.

“Long COVID” is generally defined as symptoms persisting longer than one to three months. In many cases, the fatigue, shortness of breath, headaches and memory loss last even longer.

“Early data suggests that people who have a more significant initial illness are at a higher risk of developing lingering symptoms or long COVID," said Dr. John Baratta, co-director of the UNC COVID Recovery Clinic.

The clinic has treated 600 long-haulers this year. About two-thirds of them are women, mostly between their 30s and 60s.

When asked why women could be more likely to experience long COVID, Baratta said, "One theory is that long COVID might be caused by an immune or inflammatory condition, and sometimes women can be at a higher risk for that to start with.”

A study of more than 1,700 school-aged children found:

  • 77 (4%) had symptoms longer than 28 days
    • 25 (1%) had symptoms after 56 days
      • 12- to 17-year-olds were at a higher risk of long COVID than those ages 5 to 11

        “Middle schoolers, high schoolers [and] elementary school kids are, unfortunately, having difficulty with their regular school day because of symptoms they are still having," said Baratta.

        WRAL Data Trackers found that, in the last month, 13,000 COVID-19 cases in North Carolina were among youths 17 and younger – that’s about 26% of all cases.

        Just last week, children ages 5 to 11 became eligible for vaccination.

        Lynch, who has watched her daughter struggling with long COVID, has a message for parents who are on the fence about getting their children vaccinated: "The benefits outweigh the risk."

        Over 99% of the long-haulers getting treatment at UNC Health were unvaccinated when they first contracted COVID-19.

        Baratta says there is some research that supports getting vaccinated – even after infection – could help reduce symptoms of long COVID.