Worsening fatigue, palpitations and gastrointestinal disturbance are some of the symptoms doctors can assess in children or teenagers with suspected long COVID, according to an international team of experts.

Their review in the European Respiratory Journal has identified seven ‘critical outcomes’ and four recommended tools for assessing long COVID symptoms in under-18s.

The outcomes are fatigue, post-exertional symptoms, changes to work and study, physical health, gastrointestinal symptoms, cardiovascular health and neurocognition.

The recommended tools are three Paediatric Quality of Life scales — measuring fatigue, gastrointestinal symptoms and cognitive function respectively — as well as the EuroQol 5 Dimensions Youth scale for physical function.