Long COVID occurrence in COVID-19 survivors

• Published in: Scientific reports Vol. 12; no. 1; p. 6039
• Main Authors: Sugiyama, Aya, Miwata, Kei, Kitahara, Yoshihiro, Okimoto, Mafumi, Abe, Kanon, E, Bunthen, Ouoba, Serge, Akita, Tomoyuki, Tanimine, Naoki, Ohdan, Hideki, Kubo, Tatsuhiko, Nagasawa, Akira, Nakanishi, Toshio, Takafuta, Toshiro, Tanaka, Junko
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London Nature Publishing Group UK 11.04.2022; Nature Publishing Group; Nature Portfolio
• Subjects: 692/308/174; 692/699/255; 692/700/478; Cohort Studies; Complications; Coronaviruses; Cough; COVID-19; COVID-19 - complications; COVID-19 - epidemiology; Cross-Sectional Studies; Discrimination; Female; Humanities and Social Sciences; Humans; Local communities; Male; Middle Aged; multidisciplinary; Multivariate analysis; Olfaction disorders; Olfactory discrimination; Olfactory discrimination learning; Pandemics; Patients; Post-Acute COVID-19 Syndrome; Regression analysis; Risk factors; Science; Science (multidisciplinary); Survivors; Taste disorders
• ISSN: 2045-2322; 2045-2322
• DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-10051-z

This cross-sectional study aimed to investigate the post-acute consequences of COVID-19. We conducted a self-administered questionnaire survey on sequelae, psychological distress (K6), impairments in work performance (WFun), and COVID-19–related experiences of stigma and discrimination in two designated COVID-19 hospitals in Hiroshima Prefecture, Japan, between August 2020 and March 2021. The prevalence of sequelae was calculated by age and COVID-19 severity. Factors independently associated with sequelae or psychological distress were identified using logistic regression analysis. Among 127 patients who had recovered from COVID-19, 52.0% had persistent symptoms at a median of 29 days [IQR 23–128] after COVID-19 onset. Among patients with mild COVID-19, 49.5% had sequelae. The most frequent symptoms were olfactory disorders (15.0%), taste disorders (14.2%), and cough (14.2%). Multivariate analysis showed that age was an independent risk factor for sequelae (adjusted odds ratios [AOR] for ≥ 60 years vs. < 40 years 3.63, p = 0.0165). Possible psychological distress was noted in 30.7% (17.9% of males and 45.0% of females). Female sex and the presence of sequelae were independent risk factors for psychological distress. Of all participants, 29.1% had possible impairments in work performance. Experiences of stigma and discrimination were reported by 43.3% of participants. This study revealed the significant impacts of Long COVID on health in local communities. A large-scale, long-term cohort study is desired.