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A cross-sectional, multicenter survey of the prevalence and risk factors for Long COVID

Waki Imoto1,2,3, Koichi Yamada1,2,3, Ryota Kawai4

  • 1Department of Infection Control Science, Osaka Metropolitan University Graduate School of Medicine, 1-4-3, Asahi-Machi, Abeno-Ku, Osaka, 545-8585, Japan.

Scientific Reports
|December 27, 2022
PubMed

Insights

More than half of COVID-19 survivors experience Long COVID symptoms, impacting quality of life a year later. Fatigue and sleep issues were common, even in mild cases, persisting long-term.

Area of Science:

  • Medicine
  • Public Health
  • Epidemiology

Background:

  • Long COVID, a constellation of long-term sequelae following coronavirus disease (COVID-19), presents a global health challenge.
  • Risk factors and the profound impact of Long COVID on quality of life (QOL) remain incompletely understood.
  • Understanding these factors is crucial for developing effective patient management strategies.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the prevalence and types of Long COVID symptoms one year post-infection.
  • To identify risk factors associated with Long COVID development.
  • To assess the impact of Long COVID sequelae on the quality of life in a Japanese cohort.

Main Methods:

  • A cross-sectional study was conducted involving 285 COVID-19 patients from five Japanese healthcare facilities.
  • Data were collected using questionnaires and electronic medical records.
  • Statistical analyses were performed to correlate COVID-19 severity with specific sequelae and QOL impact.

Main Results:

  • Over 50% of participants reported persistent Long COVID symptoms one year after initial COVID-19 diagnosis.
  • Common sequelae included fatigue, dyspnea, alopecia, cognitive difficulties (concentration, memory), sleeplessness, and joint pain, significantly reducing QOL.
  • While acute COVID-19 severity correlated with respiratory and throat symptoms, fatigue, sensory changes (dysgeusia, anosmia), alopecia, and sleeplessness were prevalent and impacted QOL even in mild/asymptomatic cases, persisting long-term.

Conclusions:

  • Long COVID is a prevalent condition with significant long-term implications for patient quality of life.
  • Specific symptoms like fatigue and sensory disturbances disproportionately affect QOL in individuals with milder acute COVID-19 infections.
  • These sequelae demonstrate a tendency for prolonged persistence, necessitating ongoing clinical attention and research.

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