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Post-COVID-19 condition risk in patients with intellectual and developmental disabilities: a retrospective cohort

Ting-Hui Liu¹, Po-Yu Huang², Jheng-Yan Wu³

¹Department of Psychiatry, Chi Mei Medical Center, No 901, Chunghwa Road, Yongkang District, Tainan City 710, Taiwan.

|December 20, 2023

Insights

Individuals with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (IDD) face a higher risk of developing post-COVID-19 conditions. This study highlights increased prevalence of symptoms like fatigue and cognitive issues in the IDD population post-SARS-CoV-2 infection.

Area of Science:

Public Health
Infectious Diseases
Disability Studies

Background:

No prior studies have examined post-COVID-19 conditions in patients with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (IDD).
Understanding these conditions in IDD patients is crucial for improving care planning and acknowledging this vulnerable population.
This research addresses a critical gap by investigating the prevalence and risk of post-COVID-19 conditions in individuals with IDD.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate the prevalence of post-COVID-19 conditions in patients with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (IDD).
To compare the risk of developing post-COVID-19 conditions in patients with IDD versus the general population.

Main Methods:

Utilized the TriNetX network to identify patients with and without IDD who had COVID-19.
Compared the risk of developing any post-COVID-19 condition between the IDD and non-IDD groups.
Follow-up period was 90-180 days post-SARS-CoV-2 infection.

Main Results:

Patients with IDD showed a significantly higher prevalence of post-COVID-19 conditions (HR: 1.120).
Increased risks observed in IDD patients for abnormal breathing, abdominal symptoms, fatigue, anxiety/depression, cognitive symptoms, myalgia, sleep disturbances, and cough.
Specific increased risks included cognitive symptoms (HR: 1.828) and sleep disturbances (HR: 1.481).

Conclusions:

Patients with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities may face a heightened risk of post-COVID-19 conditions after SARS-CoV-2 infection.
Findings underscore the need for targeted monitoring and support for individuals with IDD experiencing long COVID.

Read full analysis

Abstract

Background:

To date, no studies have investigated the prevalence of post-COVID-19 conditions in patients with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (IDD). Addressing this research gap is crucial, as understanding post-COVID-19 conditions in IDD patients can improve care planning, and it is essential not to overlook this vulnerable population in COVID-19 studies. This study was aimed at investigating the prevalence of post-COVID-19 conditions in patients with IDD and compare their risk with that of the general population.

Methods:

Using the TriNetX network, we identified patients with and without an IDD who had COVID-19. Subsequently, we compared the risk of developing any post-COVID-19 condition between these two groups, during the 90-180-day follow-up after SARS-CoV-2 infection.

Results:

During the follow-up, patients with an IDD exhibited a significantly higher prevalence of post-COVID-19 conditions compared to the general population (hazard ratio [HR], 1.120; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.053-1.191). Specifically, COVID-19 survivors with IDD had a significantly increased risk of experiencing abnormal breathing (HR, 1.216; 95% CI: 1.077-1.373), abdominal symptoms (HR, 1.259; 95% CI: 1.128-1.406), fatigue (HR, 1.397; 95% CI: 1.216-1.606), anxiety/depression (HR, 1.157; 95% CI: 1.050-1.274), cognitive symptoms (HR, 1.828; 95% CI: 1.529-2.186), myalgia (HR, 1.325; 95% CI: 1.077-1.631), sleep disturbances (HR, 1.481; 95% CI: 1.148-1.910), and cough (HR, 1.315; 95% CI: 1.146-1.508) compared to the non-IDD group.

Conclusions:

Patients with IDD might be associated with a higher risk of post-COVID-19 conditions following SARS-CoV-2 infection compared to the general population.

Keywords:

COVID-19 Intellectual and developmental disability Post-COVID-19 condition SARS-CoV-2

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