tetano
Editor, Senior Moderator
Open Forum Infect Dis
. 2022 Dec 21;10(1)
fac679.
doi: 10.1093/ofid/ofac679. eCollection 2023 Jan.
Persistent Symptoms and Sequelae After Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 Infection Not Requiring Hospitalization: Results From Testing Denmark, a Danish Cross-sectional Survey
Maarten van Wijhe[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Kamille Fogh[SUP] 2 3 4 [/SUP], Steen Ethelberg[SUP] 5 6 [/SUP], Kasper Karmark Iversen[SUP] 2 3 4 [/SUP], Henrik Nielsen[SUP] 7 8 [/SUP], Lars Østergaard[SUP] 5 9 [/SUP], Berit Andersen[SUP] 5 10 [/SUP], Henning Bundgaard[SUP] 4 11 [/SUP], Charlotte S Jørgensen[SUP] 5 [/SUP], Bibi F Ss Scharff[SUP] 12 [/SUP], Svend Ellermann-Eriksen[SUP] 5 13 [/SUP], Isik S Johansen[SUP] 14 15 [/SUP], Anders Fomsgaard[SUP] 5 [/SUP], Tyra Grove Krause[SUP] 5 [/SUP], Lothar Wiese[SUP] 16 [/SUP], Thea K Fischer[SUP] 6 17 [/SUP], Kåre Mølbak[SUP] 5 18 [/SUP], Thomas Benfield[SUP] 4 19 [/SUP], Fredrik Folke[SUP] 2 4 20 [/SUP], Freddy Lippert[SUP] 4 20 [/SUP], Sisse R Ostrowski[SUP] 4 12 [/SUP], Anders Koch[SUP] 5 6 21 [/SUP], Christian Erikstrup[SUP] 22 [/SUP], Anne-Marie Vangsted[SUP] 5 [/SUP], Anna Irene Vedel Sørensen[SUP] 5 [/SUP], Henrik Ullum[SUP] 5 [/SUP], Robert Leo Skov[SUP] 5 [/SUP], Lone Simonsen[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Susanne Dam Nielsen[SUP] 4 21 [/SUP]
Affiliations
Abstract
Background: Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection is associated with persistent symptoms ("long COVID"). We assessed the burden of long COVID among nonhospitalized adults with polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection.
Methods: In the fall of 2020, a cross-sectional survey was performed in the adult Danish general population. This included a self-administered point-of-care test for SARS-CoV-2 antibodies, the Short Form Health Survey (SF-12), and coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)-associated symptom questions. Nonhospitalized respondents with a positive SARS-CoV-2 PCR test ≥12 weeks before the survey (cases) were matched (1:10) to seronegative controls on age, sex, and body mass index. Propensity score-weighted odds ratios (ORs) and ORs for risk factors were estimated for each health outcome.
Results: In total, 742 cases and 7420 controls were included. The attributable risk of at least 1 long-COVID symptom was 25.0 per 100 cases (95% confidence interval [CI], 22.2-27.4). Compared to controls, cases reported worse general health (OR, 5.9 [95% CI, 5.0-7.0]) and had higher odds for a broad range of symptoms, particularly loss of taste (OR, 11.8 [95% CI, 9.5-14.6]) and smell (OR, 11.2 [95% CI, 9.1-13.9]). Physical and Mental Component Summary scores were also significantly reduced with differences of -2.5 (95% CI, -3.1 to -1.8) and -2.0 (95% CI, -2.7 to -1.2), respectively. Female sex and severity of initial infection were major risk factors for long COVID.
Conclusions: Nonhospitalized SARS-CoV-2 PCR-positive individuals had significantly reduced physical and mental health, and 1 in 4 reported persistence of at least 1 long-COVID symptom.
Keywords: COVID-19; cross-sectional study; health-related quality-of-life; long COVID; nonhospitalized patients.
. 2022 Dec 21;10(1)
fac679.doi: 10.1093/ofid/ofac679. eCollection 2023 Jan.
Persistent Symptoms and Sequelae After Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 Infection Not Requiring Hospitalization: Results From Testing Denmark, a Danish Cross-sectional Survey
Maarten van Wijhe[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Kamille Fogh[SUP] 2 3 4 [/SUP], Steen Ethelberg[SUP] 5 6 [/SUP], Kasper Karmark Iversen[SUP] 2 3 4 [/SUP], Henrik Nielsen[SUP] 7 8 [/SUP], Lars Østergaard[SUP] 5 9 [/SUP], Berit Andersen[SUP] 5 10 [/SUP], Henning Bundgaard[SUP] 4 11 [/SUP], Charlotte S Jørgensen[SUP] 5 [/SUP], Bibi F Ss Scharff[SUP] 12 [/SUP], Svend Ellermann-Eriksen[SUP] 5 13 [/SUP], Isik S Johansen[SUP] 14 15 [/SUP], Anders Fomsgaard[SUP] 5 [/SUP], Tyra Grove Krause[SUP] 5 [/SUP], Lothar Wiese[SUP] 16 [/SUP], Thea K Fischer[SUP] 6 17 [/SUP], Kåre Mølbak[SUP] 5 18 [/SUP], Thomas Benfield[SUP] 4 19 [/SUP], Fredrik Folke[SUP] 2 4 20 [/SUP], Freddy Lippert[SUP] 4 20 [/SUP], Sisse R Ostrowski[SUP] 4 12 [/SUP], Anders Koch[SUP] 5 6 21 [/SUP], Christian Erikstrup[SUP] 22 [/SUP], Anne-Marie Vangsted[SUP] 5 [/SUP], Anna Irene Vedel Sørensen[SUP] 5 [/SUP], Henrik Ullum[SUP] 5 [/SUP], Robert Leo Skov[SUP] 5 [/SUP], Lone Simonsen[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Susanne Dam Nielsen[SUP] 4 21 [/SUP]
Affiliations
- PMID: 36628054
- PMCID: PMC9825266
- DOI: 10.1093/ofid/ofac679
Abstract
Background: Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection is associated with persistent symptoms ("long COVID"). We assessed the burden of long COVID among nonhospitalized adults with polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection.
Methods: In the fall of 2020, a cross-sectional survey was performed in the adult Danish general population. This included a self-administered point-of-care test for SARS-CoV-2 antibodies, the Short Form Health Survey (SF-12), and coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)-associated symptom questions. Nonhospitalized respondents with a positive SARS-CoV-2 PCR test ≥12 weeks before the survey (cases) were matched (1:10) to seronegative controls on age, sex, and body mass index. Propensity score-weighted odds ratios (ORs) and ORs for risk factors were estimated for each health outcome.
Results: In total, 742 cases and 7420 controls were included. The attributable risk of at least 1 long-COVID symptom was 25.0 per 100 cases (95% confidence interval [CI], 22.2-27.4). Compared to controls, cases reported worse general health (OR, 5.9 [95% CI, 5.0-7.0]) and had higher odds for a broad range of symptoms, particularly loss of taste (OR, 11.8 [95% CI, 9.5-14.6]) and smell (OR, 11.2 [95% CI, 9.1-13.9]). Physical and Mental Component Summary scores were also significantly reduced with differences of -2.5 (95% CI, -3.1 to -1.8) and -2.0 (95% CI, -2.7 to -1.2), respectively. Female sex and severity of initial infection were major risk factors for long COVID.
Conclusions: Nonhospitalized SARS-CoV-2 PCR-positive individuals had significantly reduced physical and mental health, and 1 in 4 reported persistence of at least 1 long-COVID symptom.
Keywords: COVID-19; cross-sectional study; health-related quality-of-life; long COVID; nonhospitalized patients.