tetano
Editor, Senior Moderator
MJ Open
. 2026 May 27;16(5):e114399.
doi: 10.1136/bmjopen-2025-114399.
Unveiling the burden of long covid in hospital and community settings: findings from the Post-Acute Sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 Network (PASCNET) cohort study in Italy's pandemic epicentre
Laura Antolini[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Maria Grazia Valsecchi[SUP] 2 [/SUP], Anna Bussi[SUP] 3 [/SUP], Giuseppe La Piana[SUP] 4 [/SUP], Elisabetta Pagani[SUP] 5 [/SUP], Maria Grazia Pascarella[SUP] 6 [/SUP], Andrea Patroni[SUP] 7 [/SUP], Ivan Pellegrino[SUP] 8 [/SUP], Anna Pozzi[SUP] 9 [/SUP], Mario Sorlini[SUP] 9 [/SUP], Marianna Ticozzelli[SUP] 10 [/SUP], Marco Villa[SUP] 11 [/SUP], Mario Zappa[SUP] 9 [/SUP], Antonio Giampiero Russo[SUP] 12 [/SUP], Claudio Lucifora[SUP] 13 [/SUP]
Affiliations
Objectives: Post-COVID-19 condition (PCC) has emerged as a major public health concern. We aimed to estimate the 1-year incidence of PCC in adults with confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection in Lombardy, Italy, comparing community-managed and hospitalised patients and to assess the prognostic value of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Researching COVID to Enhance Recovery (RECOVER) score to support estimation of long-term PCC prevalence.
Design: Retrospective-prospective observational cohort study enrolling patients infected between 1 March 2020 and 31 December 2022. The study visit was conducted between 16 January and 23 December 2024.
Setting: Multicentre study involving seven public hospitals and general practitioners across Lombardy.
Participants: Randomly sampled adults aged 18-70 years with confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection. Hospitalised patients (HP) were admitted for COVID-19; general practitioner patients (GPP) were managed in the community. The total sample comprised: 1162 (546 HP, 616 GPP).
Intervention: This is an observational study with no active intervention.
Primary and secondary outcome measures: Primary outcome: 1-year incidence of PCC retrospectively assessed at the study visit.
Secondary outcomes: symptom profiles, long-term PCC prevalence at the study visit and predictive value of the NIH RECOVER score.
Results: Median age was 57.1 years in HP and 42.9 years in GPP; 66.1% of HP and 47.7% of GPP were male. PCC developed in 280 patients (223 HP, 57 GPP). The 1-year cumulative incidence was 39.9% in HP (95% CI 35.9% to 44.1%) and 9.1% in GPP (95% CI 7.1% to 11.7%). The NIH RECOVER score was associated with PCC at 1 year (OR 1.18, 95% CI 1.14 to 1.21). Model-based long-term PCC prevalence was 31.8% in HP and 6.3% in GPP.
Conclusions: PCC remained frequent and heterogeneous, particularly among previously HP. In this cohort, the NIH RECOVER score showed prognostic value for estimating longer-term PCC burden. These findings underscore the need for structured long-term follow-up across both hospital and primary care settings.
Keywords: COVID-19; Post-Acute COVID-19 Syndrome; Primary Health Care.
. 2026 May 27;16(5):e114399.
doi: 10.1136/bmjopen-2025-114399.
Unveiling the burden of long covid in hospital and community settings: findings from the Post-Acute Sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 Network (PASCNET) cohort study in Italy's pandemic epicentre
Laura Antolini[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Maria Grazia Valsecchi[SUP] 2 [/SUP], Anna Bussi[SUP] 3 [/SUP], Giuseppe La Piana[SUP] 4 [/SUP], Elisabetta Pagani[SUP] 5 [/SUP], Maria Grazia Pascarella[SUP] 6 [/SUP], Andrea Patroni[SUP] 7 [/SUP], Ivan Pellegrino[SUP] 8 [/SUP], Anna Pozzi[SUP] 9 [/SUP], Mario Sorlini[SUP] 9 [/SUP], Marianna Ticozzelli[SUP] 10 [/SUP], Marco Villa[SUP] 11 [/SUP], Mario Zappa[SUP] 9 [/SUP], Antonio Giampiero Russo[SUP] 12 [/SUP], Claudio Lucifora[SUP] 13 [/SUP]
Affiliations
- PMID: 42203277
- DOI: 10.1136/bmjopen-2025-114399
Objectives: Post-COVID-19 condition (PCC) has emerged as a major public health concern. We aimed to estimate the 1-year incidence of PCC in adults with confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection in Lombardy, Italy, comparing community-managed and hospitalised patients and to assess the prognostic value of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Researching COVID to Enhance Recovery (RECOVER) score to support estimation of long-term PCC prevalence.
Design: Retrospective-prospective observational cohort study enrolling patients infected between 1 March 2020 and 31 December 2022. The study visit was conducted between 16 January and 23 December 2024.
Setting: Multicentre study involving seven public hospitals and general practitioners across Lombardy.
Participants: Randomly sampled adults aged 18-70 years with confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection. Hospitalised patients (HP) were admitted for COVID-19; general practitioner patients (GPP) were managed in the community. The total sample comprised: 1162 (546 HP, 616 GPP).
Intervention: This is an observational study with no active intervention.
Primary and secondary outcome measures: Primary outcome: 1-year incidence of PCC retrospectively assessed at the study visit.
Secondary outcomes: symptom profiles, long-term PCC prevalence at the study visit and predictive value of the NIH RECOVER score.
Results: Median age was 57.1 years in HP and 42.9 years in GPP; 66.1% of HP and 47.7% of GPP were male. PCC developed in 280 patients (223 HP, 57 GPP). The 1-year cumulative incidence was 39.9% in HP (95% CI 35.9% to 44.1%) and 9.1% in GPP (95% CI 7.1% to 11.7%). The NIH RECOVER score was associated with PCC at 1 year (OR 1.18, 95% CI 1.14 to 1.21). Model-based long-term PCC prevalence was 31.8% in HP and 6.3% in GPP.
Conclusions: PCC remained frequent and heterogeneous, particularly among previously HP. In this cohort, the NIH RECOVER score showed prognostic value for estimating longer-term PCC burden. These findings underscore the need for structured long-term follow-up across both hospital and primary care settings.
Keywords: COVID-19; Post-Acute COVID-19 Syndrome; Primary Health Care.