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After a mild infection, a high school athlete developed long COVID. What did it take to jumpstart his recovery?

Lucas Denault and his mom, Karin Denault. Lucas developed long COVID complications after a mild infection. Credit: The Denault Family
Lucas Denault and his mom, Karin Denault. Lucas developed long COVID complications after a mild infection. Credit: The Denault Family

Long COVID--with symptoms that linger for months like brain fog, dizziness, or heart palpitations --may affect 2 to 10 percent of children who have been infected with COVID, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics.

In September, a new set of guidelineswas published to help pediatricians identify and treat long COVID. We speak with one of the lead authors, Dr. Laura Malone, co-director of Kennedy Krieger’s Pediatric Post-COVID19 Rehabilitation Clinic.

Then, an athletic, academically engaged high school student is suddenly exhausted. His normal schedule of classes and sports and activities with friends shrinks, as he struggles with dizziness, nausea, and brain fog. We speak with Lucas Denault and his mom, Karin, about his recovery from long COVID.

Read more:
Kennedy Krieger Leads a Team That Created New Guidelines to Help Physicians Nationwide Treat Pediatric Long COVID

What does long covid treatment look like for kids? Too few clinics are trying to figure it out.

Sheilah Kast is the host of On The Record, Monday-Friday, 9:30-10:00 am.
Maureen Harvie is Senior Supervising Producer for On the Record. She is a graduate of the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, and joined WYPR in 2014 as an intern for the newsroom. Whether coordinating live election night coverage, capturing the sounds of a roller derby scrimmage, interviewing veterans, or booking local authors, she is always on the lookout for the next story.