Prevalence, Risk Factors, and Impact of Long COVID Among Adults in South Korea

This study aimed to identify the prevalence, risk factors, and impact of long COVID in a community-based representative sample of patients with COVID-19 aged 19-64 years.

A total of 975 participants completed online or telephone surveys at 1 and 3 months post-diagnosis, covering persistent symptoms, daily activity limitations, vaccination status, and underlying diseases.

Long COVID, as defined by the WHO criteria, had a prevalence of 19.7-24.9% in females and 12.7% in males. Logistic regression revealed that the odds of having long COVID symptoms were higher among females compared to males (OR, 2.43; 95% CI, 1.53-3.87), and higher in those aged ≥ 30 years compared to those aged 19-29 years: 30-39 years (OR, 2.91; 95% CI, 1.59-5.33), 40-49 years (OR, 2.72; 95% CI, 1.51-4.89), and 50-64 years (OR, 1.96; 95% CI, 1.10-3.49). Additionally, patients with underlying diseases had higher odds of long COVID symptoms compared to those without underlying diseases (OR, 1.81; 95% CI, 1.24-2.64). Among those with long COVID, 54.2% experienced daily activity limitations, and 40.6% received treatment. Furthermore, lower income groups faced greater daily activity limitations but had similar treatment rates to higher income groups.

These findings emphasize the need for interest in and the development of programs to support these low-income populations.