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BMJ Open
. 2024 Sep 10;14(9):e087235.
doi: 10.1136/bmjopen-2024-087235. Incidence, symptom clusters and determinants of post-acute COVID symptoms: a population-based surveillance in community-dwelling users of the COVID RADAR app
Willian J van Dijk 1 2 , Miriam L Haaksma 3 , Dennis O Mook-Kanamori 3 2 , Leo G Visser 4 , Mattijs E Numans 3 , A van Hylckama Vlieg 2 , Frits R Rosendaal 2 , Jessica C Kiefte-de Jong 3
Affiliations
Objectives: This study aims to describe the incidence, symptom clusters and determinants of post-acute COVID symptoms using data from the COVID RADAR app in the Netherlands.
Design: Prospective cohort.
Setting: General population in the Netherlands from April 2020 to February 2022.
Participants: A total of 1478 COVID RADAR app users, with data spanning 40 days before to 100 days after positive SARS-CoV-2 test.
Outcome measures: Incidence and duration of 10 new symptoms that developed during acute infection, defined as 10 days prior and 10 days after positive test. Clustering of these post-acute COVID symptoms and associations between factors known in the acute phase and 100-day symptom persistence.
Results: The most frequent post-acute symptoms were cough, loss of smell or taste and fatigue. At 100 days postinfection, 86 (8%) participants still experienced symptoms. Three post-acute COVID symptom clusters were identified: non-respiratory (headache and fatigue; 49% of participants with post-acute COVID symptoms); olfactory (15%) and respiratory (8%). Vaccination was associated with a lower risk of post-acute COVID symptoms 100 days after infection, although CIs were wide (OR: 0.5; 95% CI: 0.2 to 1.5), but not with non-respiratory symptoms (OR: 1.0; 95% CI: 0.3 to 4.4). Severe acute disease increased the risk of post-acute COVID symptoms (OR: 1.4; 95% CI: 1.2 to 1.5; per additional acute symptom).
Conclusions: In this cohort of infected community-dwelling app users, 5%-10% experienced post-acute COVID symptoms. The symptoms cluster in several distinct entities, which differ in incidence, patient characteristics and vaccination effects. This suggests multiple mechanisms underlying the development of post-acute COVID symptoms.
Keywords: COVID-19; community participation; post-acute COVID-19 syndrome; vaccination.
. 2024 Sep 10;14(9):e087235.
doi: 10.1136/bmjopen-2024-087235. Incidence, symptom clusters and determinants of post-acute COVID symptoms: a population-based surveillance in community-dwelling users of the COVID RADAR app
Willian J van Dijk 1 2 , Miriam L Haaksma 3 , Dennis O Mook-Kanamori 3 2 , Leo G Visser 4 , Mattijs E Numans 3 , A van Hylckama Vlieg 2 , Frits R Rosendaal 2 , Jessica C Kiefte-de Jong 3
Affiliations
- PMID: 39260850
- DOI: 10.1136/bmjopen-2024-087235
Objectives: This study aims to describe the incidence, symptom clusters and determinants of post-acute COVID symptoms using data from the COVID RADAR app in the Netherlands.
Design: Prospective cohort.
Setting: General population in the Netherlands from April 2020 to February 2022.
Participants: A total of 1478 COVID RADAR app users, with data spanning 40 days before to 100 days after positive SARS-CoV-2 test.
Outcome measures: Incidence and duration of 10 new symptoms that developed during acute infection, defined as 10 days prior and 10 days after positive test. Clustering of these post-acute COVID symptoms and associations between factors known in the acute phase and 100-day symptom persistence.
Results: The most frequent post-acute symptoms were cough, loss of smell or taste and fatigue. At 100 days postinfection, 86 (8%) participants still experienced symptoms. Three post-acute COVID symptom clusters were identified: non-respiratory (headache and fatigue; 49% of participants with post-acute COVID symptoms); olfactory (15%) and respiratory (8%). Vaccination was associated with a lower risk of post-acute COVID symptoms 100 days after infection, although CIs were wide (OR: 0.5; 95% CI: 0.2 to 1.5), but not with non-respiratory symptoms (OR: 1.0; 95% CI: 0.3 to 4.4). Severe acute disease increased the risk of post-acute COVID symptoms (OR: 1.4; 95% CI: 1.2 to 1.5; per additional acute symptom).
Conclusions: In this cohort of infected community-dwelling app users, 5%-10% experienced post-acute COVID symptoms. The symptoms cluster in several distinct entities, which differ in incidence, patient characteristics and vaccination effects. This suggests multiple mechanisms underlying the development of post-acute COVID symptoms.
Keywords: COVID-19; community participation; post-acute COVID-19 syndrome; vaccination.