Secondary Conditions Associated with Long Covid

After a child experiences Long COVID, it’s possible for secondary conditions to develop—these are new health issues that arise as a result of the stress or damage caused by the original illness. These are not just lingering symptoms of COVID itself, but entirely separate diagnoses that emerge after the body has been fighting the virus for some time.

For example, a child who seemed to be slowly recovering might suddenly develop Functional Neurological Disorder (FND), where the brain has trouble sending and receiving signals properly, leading to movement difficulties, fainting, or other nervous system problems. Others may develop POTS (Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome), a condition affecting heart rate and blood flow, or even autoimmune disorders where the immune system begins attacking the body’s own tissues.

The Root Cause

These conditions can be confusing and scary for families, especially if they appear to come “out of nowhere.”

But understanding them as secondary conditions—triggered by the original COVID infection—can help guide families toward more targeted treatments and reassure them that their child’s experience is real, known, and treatable.

In conventional medicine, when new symptoms arise, they’re often given new names—new diagnoses that come with separate treatments, specialists, and medications. But this way of thinking can be misleading, especially when it comes to pediatric Long COVID.

Just because a child develops additional symptoms over time doesn’t mean they’ve developed a completely new illness. It means the original problem—the impact of the virus on their body—is still unfolding.

Treating The Body As A Whole

Instead of chasing each symptom with a different label or treatment, we must step back and see the whole picture. These aren’t separate conditions; they’re part of the same story. The real solution isn’t to keep changing the diagnosis—it’s to heal the underlying damage. When we treat the root cause and support the body as a whole, symptoms begin to resolve. Healing doesn’t come from managing labels. It comes from restoring balance at the source.

Your approach has to be as follows: “we have this new diagnosis now but it’s not an additional condition to figure out and manage, it is just another group of symptoms, caused by the same thing. The damage the virus caused is the problem. The fact that my child’s body was unusually vulnerable to this damage when other kids skate by, THAT is the problem.” That’s where you have to start.

Listed below you will find the conditions that we are noticing post Long COVID in the field, working with real life Long COVID patients.

Several secondary conditions have been documented in pediatric patients following COVID-19 infection, both in clinical studies and through patient reports on social media. These conditions, distinct from the initial symptoms of COVID-19, may emerge weeks or months after the acute phase of the illness. Below is a list of such conditions with supporting evidence:

Amplified Musculoskeletal Pain Syndrome (AMPS)
Anxiety
Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS)
Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome (POTS)
Functional Neurological Disorder (FND)
Pediatric Acute-onset Neuropsychiatric Syndrome (PANS)
Gastrointestinal Issues
Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (EDS)
Myalgic Encephalomyelitis / Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS)

Early intervention is key

While the journey through pediatric Long COVID can be overwhelming and filled with uncertainty, it is important to remember that you are not alone, and neither is your child.

The physical, emotional, and neurological effects of this condition are very real, but so is the growing awareness, research, and medical support surrounding it. More clinicians are learning how to recognize and treat these symptoms, and more families are speaking out and finding community in shared experience. Recovery may not follow a straight line, but with patience, the right care, and a team that listens and believes you, healing is possible.

Just as importantly, parents need to be aware of the other conditions that may develop alongside or after Long COVID, such as POTS, ME/CFS, CRPS, AMPS, FND, and more. These aren’t rare in this context—and knowing what to look for can save families months or even years of frustration, misdiagnosis, or being dismissed by doctors who simply don’t yet understand.

When you know what’s possible, you can advocate early, seek the right specialists, and help your child get the care they deserve.