Tag: long covid demographics

Vaccine perceptions among Black adults with long COVID

Abstract:

Objectives: Low uptake of COVID vaccines within Black communities is a concern given the stark racial inequities associated with the pandemic. Prior research details COVID vaccine perceptions within the general population and Black communities specifically. However, Black individuals with long COVID may be more or less receptive to future COVID vaccination than their peers without long COVID. The impact of COVID vaccination on long COVID symptoms is still controversial, since some studies suggest that vaccination can improve long COVID symptoms, whereas other studies report no significant change in symptoms or a worsening of symptoms. In this study, we aimed to characterize the factors influencing perceptions of COVID vaccines among Black adults with long COVID to inform future vaccine-related policies and interventions.

Design: We conducted 15 semi-structured, race-concordant interviews over Zoom with adults who reported physical or mental health symptoms that lingered for a month or more after acute COVID infection. We transcribed and anonymized the interviews and implemented inductive, thematic analysis to identify factors influencing COVID vaccine perceptions and the vaccine decision-making process.

Results: We identified five themes that influenced vaccine perceptions: (1) Vaccine safety and efficacy; (2) Social implications of vaccination status; (3) Navigating and interpreting vaccine-related information; (4) Possibility of abuse and exploitation by the government and scientific community; and (5) Long COVID status. Safety concerns were amplified by long COVID status and mistrust in social systems due to mistreatment of the Black community.

Conclusions: Among the factors influencing COVID vaccine perceptions, participants reported a desire to avoid reinfection and a negative immune response. As COVID reinfection and long COVID become more common, achieving adequate uptake of COVID vaccines and boosters may require approaches that are tailored in partnership with the long COVID patient community.

Source: Dell’Imperio SG, Aboul-Hassan D, Batchelor R, Chambers-Peeple K, Clauw DJ, DeJonckheere M, Bergmans RS. Vaccine perceptions among Black adults with long COVID. Ethn Health. 2023 Apr 2:1-21. doi: 10.1080/13557858.2023.2191914. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 37005013. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37005013/

Coronavirus (COVID-19) Pandemic – A Comprehensive Review of Demographics, Comorbidities, Vaccines, Therapeutic Development, Blood Type, and Long Covid

Abstract:

The study summarizes the pandemic COVID-19’s impact on symptoms, demographics, comorbidities, and vaccine and therapeutic development and demonstrates an association with cases and mortality for the past two years. There has been rapid scientific advancement over the past two years 2020-2022 in developing vaccines and therapeutics for combating the disease. We chose three highly affected countries US, India, and China, to address the impact of demographics and comorbidities on COVID-19 using US Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) data.

Based on the analysis of this data, we see that the infection rate is higher in females, while the percentage of death is higher in males than females (p < 0.0001), and the number of female cases among females has increased by 1.7% while the number of deaths among females has decreased by ~1%, within the last two years. The trend of getting affected byCOVID-19 is similar during 2020-2022, i.e., Whites followed by Hispanics and Black people.

After a thorough review of many manuscripts, we concluded that diseases like cardiovascular disease (CVD), diabetes, hypertension, chronic pulmonary obstructive disease (COPD), and acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) were the typical comorbidities leading to severe COVID-19 conditions. In addition, variants of COVID-19, current vaccine and therapeutic development efforts, and relation of COVID-19 with blood type are discussed.

Finally, to conclude that for designing vaccine trials, following FDA’s guidance emphasizing stratification factors based on demographics and comorbidities should be considered while allocating treatment to patients.

Source: Bhattacharyya, Arinjita & Seth, Anand & Rai, Shesh. (2023). Coronavirus (COVID-19) Pandemic -A Comprehensive Review of Demographics, Comorbidities, Vaccines, Therapeutic Development, Blood Type, and Long Covid. 10.36959/856/540.  https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Arinjita_Bhattacharyya/publication/369579104_Coronavirus_COVID-19_Pandemic_-A_Comprehensive_Review_of_Demographics_Comorbidities_Vaccines_Therapeutic_Development_Blood_Type_and_Long_Covid/links/6423001ba1b72772e4318d7d/Coronavirus-COVID-19-Pandemic-A-Comprehensive-Review-of-Demographics-Comorbidities-Vaccines-Therapeutic-Development-Blood-Type-and-Long-Covid.pdf (Full text PDF file)

Demographic And Clinical Factors Associated With Long COVID

Abstract:

Risk factors for postacute sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 infection (“long COVID”) in community-dwelling populations remain poorly understood. Large-scale data, follow-up, comparison groups, and a consensus definition of long COVID are often lacking. Using data from the OptumLabs Data Warehouse on a nationwide sample of commercial and Medicare Advantage enrollees from the period January 2019 through March 2022, we examined demographic and clinical factors associated with long COVID, using two definitions of people who suffer symptoms long after they were first diagnosed with COVID-19 (“long haulers”).

We identified 8,329 long haulers using the narrow definition (diagnosis code), 207,537 long haulers using the broad definition (symptom based), and 600,161 non–long haulers (comparison group).

On average, long haulers were older and more likely female, with more comorbidities. Among narrow-definition long haulers, the leading risk factors for long COVID included hypertension, chronic lung disease, obesity, diabetes, and depression. Their time between initial COVID-19 diagnosis and diagnosis of long COVID averaged 250 days, with racial and ethnic differences. Broad-definition long haulers exhibited similar risk factors. Distinguishing long COVID from the progression of underlying conditions can be challenging, but further study may advance the evidence base related to the identification, causes, and consequences of long COVID.

Source: Song Z, Giuriato M. Demographic And Clinical Factors Associated With Long COVID. Health Aff (Millwood). 2023 Mar;42(3):433-442. doi: 10.1377/hlthaff.2022.00991. PMID: 36877912. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36877912/

Racial, ethnic, and sex disparities in the incidence and cognitive symptomology of long COVID-19

Abstract:

Background: The pandemic has highlighted and exacerbated health inequities in both acute coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and its longer-term sequelae. Given the heterogeneity in definitions of long COVID and the lack of centralized registries of patients with the disease, little is known about the differential prevalence among racial, ethnic, and sex subgroups. This study examines long COVID among Black, White, Asian, and Hispanic Americans and evaluates differences in the associated cognitive symptomology.

Method: Data from four releases of the Census Bureau’s Household Pulse Survey detailing COVID-19 incidence and the duration and type of symptoms among a nationally representative sample of adults from June 1, 2022, through October 17, 2022, were combined. Binary logistic regression assessed the relative likelihood of long COVID among those who had been diagnosed COVID between racial, ethnic, and sex subgroups. Among those reporting long COVID, differences in the prevalence of difficulty understanding and difficulty remembering were assessed. Empirical models accounted for household, regional, vaccination, and insurance differences between respondents. Two-stage selection models were applied to test the robustness of the results.

Results: Among respondents who tested positive for COVID-19, Blacks (OR=1.097, CI=1.034-1.163), females (OR=1.849, CI=1.794-1.907), and Hispanics (OR=1.349, CI=1.286-1.414) were more likely to experience long COVID (symptoms lasting for 3 months or longer) compared to Whites, males, and non-Hispanics respectively. However, those with private health insurance (OR=0.634, CI=0.611-0.658) and who received the COVID vaccine (OR=0.901, CI=0.864-0.94) were less likely to have endured COVID symptoms than their counterparts. Symptoms of long COVID varied significantly between population subgroups. Compared to Whites, Blacks were more likely to have trouble remembering (OR=1.878, CI=1.765-1.808) while Hispanics were more likely to report difficult understanding (OR=1.827, CI=1.413, 2.362). Females, compared to males, were less likely to experience trouble understanding (OR=0.664, CI=0.537, 0.821), but more likely to report trouble remembering (OR=1.34, CI=1.237, 1.451).

Conclusions: Long COVID is more prevalent among Blacks, Hispanics, and females, but each group appears to experience long COVID differently. Therefore, additional research is needed to determine the best method to treat and manage this poorly understood condition.

Source: Jacobs MM, Evans E, Ellis C. Racial, ethnic, and sex disparities in the incidence and cognitive symptomology of long COVID-19. J Natl Med Assoc. 2023 Feb 13:S0027-9684(23)00025-1. doi: 10.1016/j.jnma.2023.01.016. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 36792456; PMCID: PMC9923441. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9923441/ (Full text)

Correlates of long-COVID-19: the role of demographics, chronic illness, and psychiatric diagnosis in an urban sample

Abstract:

Long-COVID-19 symptoms are an emerging public health issue. This study sought to investigate demographics, chronic illness, and probable psychiatric diagnoses as correlates for long-COVID-19 in an urban adult sample. Self-report Qualtrics surveys were sent to students across City University of New York (CUNY) campuses in New York City in Winter 2021-2022. Binary logistic regressions were used to assess the relation of a range of factors with endorsement of long-COVID-19. Results demonstrated that Latinx participants endorsed higher odds of long-COVID-19, as compared to non-Latinx white participants.

Participants who endorsed having a prior chronic illness and those who met the cut-off for probable psychiatric diagnoses all endorsed higher odds of long-COVID-19. Long-COVID-19 may be more likely among specific subpopulations and among persons with other ongoing physical and mental illness.

Source: Schulder T, Rudenstine S, Ettman CK, Galea S. Correlates of long-COVID-19: the role of demographics, chronic illness, and psychiatric diagnosis in an urban sample. Psychol Health Med. 2023 Feb 8:1-13. doi: 10.1080/13548506.2023.2177684. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 36752386. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36752386/