Tag: long covid prevalence

Post COVID-19 symptoms are common, also among young adults in the general population

Abstract:

Post coronavirus disease-19 (post COVID-19) is mainly studied in clinical populations and less is known about post COVID-19 in a young general population. The aim of the study is to investigate the prevalence and symptoms of post COVID-19 and its potential risk factors in young adults.

Participants from the Swedish population-based birth cohort BAMSE were included (n = 2022, mean age 26.5 years). Post COVID-19 was assessed through a questionnaire and defined as symptoms after confirmed COVID-19 (registry-based or self-reported positive test) lasting for ≥ 2 months. In total, 681 participants had had confirmed COVID-19. Among them, 112 (16.5%) fulfilled the definition of post COVID-19 (17.8% in females, 14.5% in males, p = 0.26).

The most common post COVID-19 symptoms were altered smell and taste (68.8%), dyspnea (33.7%) and fatigue (30.4%). Overall, no major risk factors for post COVID-19 were identified except for being bedbound during COVID-19. However, asthma and rhinitis were associated with the post COVID-19 symptom dyspnea, migraine with altered smell and taste, and lower self-rated health with fatigue. In conclusion, post COVID-19 symptoms are common, also among young adults in the general population. Although not life-threatening, it could have a considerable impact on public health due to the high prevalence and long-term symptoms.

Source: Mogensen I, Ekström S, Hallberg J, Georgelis A, Melén E, Bergström A, Kull I. Post COVID-19 symptoms are common, also among young adults in the general population. Sci Rep. 2023 Jul 12;13(1):11300. doi: 10.1038/s41598-023-38315-2. PMID: 37438424; PMCID: PMC10338459. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10338459/ (Full text)

Post-COVID-19 Syndrome in Non-Hospitalized Individuals: Healthcare Situation 2 Years after SARS-CoV-2 Infection

Abstract:

Although “post-COVID-19 syndrome” (PCS) is reported to be common even in non-hospitalized individuals, long-term information on symptom burden, healthcare needs, utilization, and satisfaction with healthcare is scarce. The objectives of this study were to describe symptom burden, healthcare utilization and experiences with the healthcare offered for PCS in a German sample of non-hospitalized persons 2 years after SARS-CoV-2 infection.

Individuals with past COVID-19 confirmed by positive polymerase chain reaction testing were examined at the University Hospital of Augsburg from 4 November 2020 to 26 May 2021 and completed a postal questionnaire between 14 June 2022 and 1 November 2022. Participants who self-reported the presence of fatigue, dyspnea on exertion, memory problems or concentration problems were classified as having PCS.

Of the 304 non-hospitalized participants (58.2% female, median age 53.5), 210 (69.1%) had a PCS. Among these, 18.8% had slight to moderate functional limitations. Participants with PCS showed a significantly higher utilization of healthcare and a large proportion complained about lacking information on persistent COVID-19 symptoms and problems finding competent healthcare providers.

The results indicate the need to optimize patient information on PCS, facilitate access to specialized healthcare providers, provide treatment options in the primary care setting and improve the education of healthcare providers.

Source: Kirchberger I, Meisinger C, Warm TD, Hyhlik-Dürr A, Linseisen J, Goßlau Y. Post-COVID-19 Syndrome in Non-Hospitalized Individuals: Healthcare Situation 2 Years after SARS-CoV-2 Infection. Viruses. 2023 Jun 5;15(6):1326. doi: 10.3390/v15061326. PMID: 37376625; PMCID: PMC10303962. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10303962/ (Full text)

Long- COVID and general health status in hospitalized COVID-19 survivors

Abstract:

Despite advances in clinical research, the long-term effects of COVID-19 on patients are not clear. Many studies revealed persistent long-term signs and symptoms. In a survey study, 259 hospitalized confirmed COVID-19 patients between 18 and 59 years were interviewed. Demographic characteristics and complaints were studied through telephone interviews. Any patient-reported symptoms that continued or developed from 4 weeks up to 12 weeks after the onset of the disease were recorded only if they did not exist prior to infection.

The 12-Item General Health Questionnaire was used for screening and assessing mental symptoms and psychosocial well-being. The mean age of participants was 43.8 ± 9.9 years. About 37% had at least one underlying disease. 92.5% showed ongoing symptoms that the most prevalent complications were hair loss (61.4%), fatigue (54.1%), shortness of breath (40.2%), altered smell (34.4%), and aggression (34.4%), respectively. In terms of factors affecting patients’ complaints, there were significant differences between age, sex, and underlying disease with long-remaining complications. This study shows a high rate of long COVID-19 conditions that should be considered by physicians, policymakers, and managers.

Source: Mohtasham-Amiri, Z., Keihanian, F., Rad, E.H. et al. Long- COVID and general health status in hospitalized COVID-19 survivors. Sci Rep 13, 8116 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-023-35413-z (Full study)

Prevalence and risk factors for long COVID after mild disease: A cohort study with a symptomatic control group

Abstract:

Background: There is limited data on the prevalence and risk factors for long COVID and few prospective studies with appropriate control groups and adequate sample sizes. We performed a prospective study to determine the prevalence and risk factors for long COVID.

Methods: We recruited individuals aged ≥15 years who were clinically suspected of having an acute SARS-CoV-2 infection from September 2020 to April 2021. We collected nasopharyngeal swabs three to five days following symptom onset for analysing using reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). We also collected clinical and sociodemographic characteristics from both SARS-CoV-2 positive and negative participants using structured questionnaires. We followed-up the participants via telephone interview to assess early outcomes and persistent symptoms. For COVID-19 cases, 5D-3L EuroQol questionnaire was used to assess the impact of symptoms on quality of life.

Results: We followed 814 participants (412 COVID-19 positive and 402 COVID-19 negative persons). Most (n = 741/814) had mild symptoms. Both groups had similar sociodemographic and clinical characteristics, except for the hospitalization rate (15.8% in the COVID-19 positive vs 1.5% in the COVID-19 negative group). One month after disease onset, 122/412 (29.6%) individuals in the COVID-19 positive (long COVID) and 24 (6%) in the COVID-19 negative group reported residual symptoms. In the long COVID group, fatigue, olfactory disorder, and myalgia were the most frequent symptoms in the acute phase. Compared to recovered individuals, older age and having more than five symptoms during the acute phase were risk factors for long COVID. Quality of life was evaluated in 102 out of 122 cases of long COVID, with 57 (55.9%) reporting an impact in at least one dimension of the European Quality of Life 5 Dimensions 3 Level (EQ-5D-3L) questionnaire.

Conclusions: In this prospective study consisting predominantly of individuals with mild disease, the persistence of symptoms after an acute respiratory illness was associated with a diagnosis of COVID-19. Polysymptomatic acute disease and older age were risk factors for long COVID.

Source: Cazé AB, Cerqueira-Silva T, Bomfim AP, de Souza GL, Azevedo AC, Brasil MQ, Santos NR, Khouri R, Dan J, Bandeira AC, Cavalcanti LP, Barral-Netto M, Barral A, Barbosa CG, Boaventura VS. Prevalence and risk factors for long COVID after mild disease: A cohort study with a symptomatic control group. J Glob Health. 2023 May 12;13:06015. doi: 10.7189/jogh.13.06015. PMID: 37166260; PMCID: PMC10173895. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10173895/ (Full text)

A Review of Neurological Symptoms in Long COVID and Clinical Management

Abstract:

Long COVID is a clinical diagnosis generally referring to the persistence or development of new symptoms, affecting multiple organ systems after SARS-CoV-2 COVID-19 infection. Long COVID is thought to affect ∼20% of people after infection, including all age ranges and severity of infection. Fatigue, postexertional malaise, and respiratory and cardiac symptoms are commonly described. Neurological symptoms such as cognitive changes, sensory disturbances, headaches, and dysautonomia are common as well. The underlying pathophysiology remains unclear but immune dysregulation, autoimmunity, persistent viral reservoirs, and microvascular dysfunction have been implicated. As there are no tests at this time to diagnose long COVID, work-up should be focused on assessing reversible or treatable causes of symptoms. Furthermore, no treatments for long COVID currently exist, and management remains focused on a multimodal approach and symptom management, with many people showing improvement in symptoms over time.

Source: Navis A. A Review of Neurological Symptoms in Long COVID and Clinical Management. Semin Neurol. 2023 Apr 17. doi: 10.1055/s-0043-1767781. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 37068519. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37068519/

Employment outcomes of people with Long Covid symptoms: community-based cohort study

Abstract:

Background Evidence on the long-term employment consequences of SARS-CoV-2 infection is lacking. We used data from a large, community-based sample in the UK to estimate associations between Long Covid and subsequent employment outcomes.

Methods This was an observational, longitudinal study using a pre-post design. We included UK COVID-19 Infection Survey participants who completed questionnaires on Long Covid from 3 February 2021 to 30 September 2022 when they were aged 16 to 64 years and not in full-time education. We used conditional logit modelling to explore the time-varying relationship between Long Covid status ≥12 weeks after a first test-confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection (reference: pre-infection) and labour market inactivity (neither working nor looking for work) or workplace absence lasting ≥4 weeks.

Results Of 206,299 included participants (mean age 45 years, 54% female, 92% white), 15% were ever inactive in the labour market and 10% were ever long-term absent during follow-up. Compared with pre-infection, inactivity was higher in participants reporting Long Covid 30 to <40 weeks (adjusted odds ratio (aOR): 1.45; 95% CI: 1.17 to 1.81) or 40 to <52 weeks (1.34; 1.05 to 1.72) post-infection. Compared with pre-infection, reporting Long Covid was also associated with increased odds of long-term absence 18 to <24 weeks (1.40; 1.04 to 1.90) and 24 to <30 weeks (1.45; 1.03 to 2.04) post-infection, but not beyond 30 weeks. Combining with official statistics on Long Covid prevalence, our estimates translate to 27,000 (95% CI: 6,000 to 47,000) working-age adults in the UK being inactive because of their Long Covid symptoms in July 2022.

Conclusions Long Covid is likely to have contributed to reduced levels of participation in the UK labour market, though it is unlikely to be the sole driver. Further research is required to quantify the contribution of other factors, such as indirect health effects of the pandemic.

Source: Daniel Ayoubkhani, Francesco Zaccardi, Koen B. Pouwels, A. Sarah Walker, Donald Houston, Nisreen A. Alwan, Josh Martin, Kamlesh Khunti, Vahé Nafilyan. Employment outcomes of people with Long Covid symptoms: community-based cohort study.
medRxiv 2023.03.21.23287524; doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/2023.03.21.23287524 https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2023.03.21.23287524v1.full-text (Full text)

Post-COVID-19 condition and persisting symptoms in English schoolchildren: repeated surveys to March 2022

Abstract:

Background: Both post-COVID-19 condition (long COVID) and the presence of persisting symptoms that do not meet formal definitions of post-COVID-19-condition may adversely affect quality of life and function. However, their prevalence among children and young people in England is unclear.

Methods: We used data from repeated surveys in a large cohort of English schoolchildren from the COVID-19 Schools Infection Survey (SIS) for the school year 2021/22 to describe the weighted prevalence of post-COVID-19-condition and compare persisting symptoms between individuals with a positive SARS-CoV-2 test and those with neither a positive test history nor suspected infection.

Results: Among 7797 children from 173 schools, 1.8% of primary school pupils (aged 4 to 11 years), 4.5% of secondary school pupils in years 7-11 (aged 11 to 16 years) and 6.9% of those in years 12-13 (aged 16 to 18 years) met a definition of post-COVID-19 condition in March 2022. Specific persisting symptoms such as anxiety or difficulty concentrating were frequently reported regardless of prior infection status and increased with age: 48.0% of primary school pupils, 52.9% of secondary school pupils in years 7-11 and 79.5% in years 12-13 reporting at least one symptom lasting more than 12 weeks. Persisting loss of smell and taste, cardiovascular and some systemic symptoms were more frequently reported by those with a previous positive test.

Conclusions: We showed that ongoing symptoms were frequently reported by English schoolchildren regardless of SARS-CoV-2 test results and some specific symptoms such as loss of smell and taste were more prevalent in those with a positive test history. Our study emphasises the wide-ranging impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on the health and wellbeing of children and young people.

Source: Warren-Gash C, Lacey A, Cook S, Stocker D, Toon S, Lelii F, Ford B, Ireland G, Ladhani SN, Stephenson T, Nguipdop-Djomo P, Mangtani P; COVID-19 Schools Infection Survey 2 Study Group. Post-COVID-19 condition and persisting symptoms in English schoolchildren: repeated surveys to March 2022. BMC Infect Dis. 2023 Apr 5;23(1):201. doi: 10.1186/s12879-023-08203-1. PMID: 37020190; PMCID: PMC10075149. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10075149/ (Full text)

Occupational differences in the prevalence and severity of long-COVID: Analysis of the ONS Coronavirus (COVID-19) Infection Survey

Abstract:

Objectives To establish whether prevalence and severity of long-COVID symptoms vary by industry and occupation.

Methods We utilised ONS Coronavirus Infection Survey (CIS) data (February 2021-April 2022) of working-age participants (16-65 years). Exposures were industrial sector, occupation and major Standard Occupational Classification (SOC) group. Outcomes were self-reported: (1) long-COVID symptoms; and (2) reduced function due to long-COVID. Binary (outcome 1) and ordered (outcome 2) logistic regression were used to estimate odds ratios (OR) and prevalence (marginal means) for all exposures.

Results Public facing industries, including teaching and education, social care, healthcare, civil service, retail and transport industries and occupations had highest odds ratios for long-COVID. By major SOC group, those in caring, leisure and other services (OR 1.44, CIs: 1.38-1.52) had substantially elevated odds than average. For almost all exposures, the pattern of odds ratios for long-COVID symptoms followed that for SARS-CoV-2 infections, except for professional occupations (OR<1 for infection; OR>1 for long-COVID). The probability of reporting long-COVID for industry ranged from 7.7% (financial services) to 11.6% (teaching and education); whereas the prevalence of reduced function by ‘a lot’ ranged from 17.1% (arts, entertainment and recreation) to 22-23% (teaching and education and armed forces) and to 27% (those not working).

Conclusions The risk and prevalence of long-COVID differs across industries and occupations. Generally, it appears that likelihood of developing long-COVID symptoms follows likelihood of SARS-CoV-2 infection, except for professional occupations. These findings highlight sectors and occupations where further research is needed to understand the occupational factors resulting in long-COVID.

Source: Theocharis Kromydas, Evangelia Demou, Rhiannon Edge, Matthew Gittins, S Vittal Katikireddi, Neil Pearce, Martie van Tongeren, Jack Wilkinson, Sarah Rhodes. Occupational differences in the prevalence and severity of long-COVID: Analysis of the ONS Coronavirus (COVID-19) Infection Survey. medRxiv 2023.03.24.23287666; doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/2023.03.24.23287666 https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2023.03.24.23287666v1.full-text (Full text)

Long COVID as a chronic illness: giving credibility to support students

Abstract:

The SARS-CoV-2 virus continues to account for millions of short- and long-term conditions that can impact an individual’s cognition, breathing, and digestion. Specifically, Long COVID creates long-term health problems, diagnosable if COVID-19 symptoms present after an initial infection. Approximately 15% of U.S. adults with a prior positive COVID-19 diagnosis experience Long COVID symptoms. (See Roy H. Perlis, et al, Prevalence and Correlates of Long COVID Symptoms Among US Adults, 5 JAMA NETW OPEN 10 (October 27, 2022).) Long COVID is plaguing individuals’ ability to return to their typical functioning, including their ability to return to work. (See Katie Bach, New Data Shows Long Covid Is Keeping as Many as 4 Million People Out of Work, BROOKINGS INSTITUTE (August 24, 2022) (https://brook.gs/3xktTkC).)

Source: Aquino, K.C., Jarrow, J., Vance, L. and Rei-Skoff, A.E. (2023), Long COVID as a chronic illness: giving credibility to support students. Disability Compliance for Higher Education, 28: 1-4. https://doi.org/10.1002/dhe.31478

Long Covid: clues about causes

Abstract:(Full text

Many patients report persistent symptoms after resolution of acute COVID-19, regardless of SARS-CoV-2 variant and even if the initial illness is mild [1, 2]. A multitude of symptoms have been described under the umbrella term ‘Long COVID’, otherwise known as ‘post-COVID syndrome’ or ‘post-acute sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 (PASC)’; for simplicity we will use the term Long COVID.

Symptoms are diverse but include breathlessness, fatigue and brain fog, reported to affect up to 69% of cases [3]. Long COVID can be debilitating, 45.2% of patients requiring a reduced work schedule [4]. The WHO estimates that 17 million people in Europe have experienced Long COVID during the first two years of the pandemic [5]. SARS-CoV-2 variants continue to circulate and the risk of post-acute complications remains; a recent study of 56 003 UK patients found that even after Omicron infection, 4.5% suffered persistent symptoms [6].

It is therefore likely that Long COVID will provide a substantial medical and economic burden for the foreseeable future. There is an urgent need to understand mechanisms of disease and develop effective treatments based on this understanding.

Source: Liew F, Efstathiou C, Openshaw PJ. Long Covid: clues about causes. Eur Respir J. 2023 Mar 23:2300409. doi: 10.1183/13993003.00409-2023. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 36958743; PMCID: PMC10040855. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10040855/ (Full text)