. 2024 Nov 27;4(11):e0003126. doi: 10.1371/journal.pgph.0003126

Table 4. Themes for CYP.

Theme/Subtheme	Supporting data
Theme: Describing personal experience	• The overwhelming sentiment among teens with long Covid is a sense of loss. "I have missed out on everything," says [redacted HCP name]. (The Guardian, 10^th August 2021) [58] • "My teenager said ’we’re in a half life, we didn’t die and we haven’t recovered’." (The Times, 13^th March 2021) [47] • ’What is happening to me?’ The teenagers trying to make sense of long Covid (The Guardian, 10^th August 2021) [58]
Theme: CYP thematic overlap with other actors Subtheme: Validation of Long Covid	• While long Covid is a condition that generally affects older people, teens and children can—and do—become ill. (The Guardian, 10^th August 2021) [58] • Children who have contracted Covid-19 are reportedly suffering the effects of the virus for months afterwards, debunking widespread opinion that children wouldn’t be hit as hard as older patients. (The Mirror, 1^st November 2020) [56] • Now a new study from King’s College London reveals that long Covid isn’t just a condition of adults but can also affect children and young people. (The Daily Mirror, 18^th October 2021) [61]
Theme: CYP thematic overlap with other actors Subtheme: Invalidation of Long Covid	• Researchers say the findings suggest long Covid is likely less of a concern among kids and adolescents than it is among adults (Mail Online, 1^st October 2021) [62] • Long Covid symptoms rarely persist beyond 12 weeks in children and adolescents unlike adults, new research suggests.(PA Media, 16^th September 2021) [44]
Theme: Formerly very able	• The previously sporty teenager—who played football and rugby for local teams—could not take more than a few steps without being overwhelmed with exhaustion. (The Sun, 7^th February 2021) [43] • Aberdeenshire teen [redacted CYP name] used to be an avid skier, competing across the country and overseas but, since catching Covid, she struggles to walk far or carry out simple tasks.(The Daily Record, 12^th September 2021) [42] • Devastated parents have said their previously healthy kids are now confined to wheelchairs and too fatigued to attend school (The Mirror, 4^th September 2021) [63]