TY - JOUR
T1 - Persistent Symptoms and Sequelae After Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 Infection Not Requiring Hospitalization
T2 - Results From Testing Denmark, a Danish Cross-sectional Survey
AU - van Wijhe, Maarten
AU - Fogh, Kamille
AU - Ethelberg, Steen
AU - Karmark Iversen, Kasper
AU - Nielsen, Henrik
AU - Østergaard, Lars
AU - Andersen, Berit
AU - Bundgaard, Henning
AU - Jørgensen, Charlotte S
AU - Scharff, Bibi F Ss
AU - Ellermann-Eriksen, Svend
AU - Johansen, Isik S
AU - Fomsgaard, Anders
AU - Grove Krause, Tyra
AU - Wiese, Lothar
AU - Fischer, Thea K
AU - Mølbak, Kåre
AU - Benfield, Thomas
AU - Folke, Fredrik
AU - Lippert, Freddy
AU - Ostrowski, Sisse R
AU - Koch, Anders
AU - Erikstrup, Christian
AU - Vangsted, Anne-Marie
AU - Sørensen, Anna Irene Vedel
AU - Ullum, Henrik
AU - Skov, Robert Leo
AU - Simonsen, Lone
AU - Nielsen, Susanne Dam
N1 - © The Author(s) 2022. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Infectious Diseases Society of America.
PY - 2023/1
Y1 - 2023/1
N2 - 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.
AB - 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.
U2 - 10.1093/ofid/ofac679
DO - 10.1093/ofid/ofac679
M3 - Journal article
C2 - 36628054
VL - 10
SP - ofac679
JO - Open Forum Infectious Diseases
JF - Open Forum Infectious Diseases
SN - 2328-8957
IS - 1
ER -