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The burden of post-acute COVID-19 symptoms in a multinational network cohort analysis

Author

Listed:
  • Kristin Kostka

    (University of Oxford)

  • Elena Roel

    (I Fundació Institut Universitari per a la recerca a l’Atenció Primària de Salut Jordi Gol i Gurina (IDIAPJGol)
    Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra (Cerdanyola del Vallès))

  • Nhung T. H. Trinh

    (University of Oslo)

  • Núria Mercadé-Besora

    (I Fundació Institut Universitari per a la recerca a l’Atenció Primària de Salut Jordi Gol i Gurina (IDIAPJGol))

  • Antonella Delmestri

    (University of Oxford)

  • Lourdes Mateu

    (Department of Infectious Diseases, Hospital Germans Trias i Pujol
    Fundació Lluita contra les Infeccions)

  • Roger Paredes

    (Department of Infectious Diseases, Hospital Germans Trias i Pujol
    Fundació Lluita contra les Infeccions
    irsiCaixa AIDS Research Institute
    Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine)

  • Talita Duarte-Salles

    (I Fundació Institut Universitari per a la recerca a l’Atenció Primària de Salut Jordi Gol i Gurina (IDIAPJGol)
    Erasmus University Medical Center)

  • Daniel Prieto-Alhambra

    (University of Oxford
    Erasmus University Medical Center)

  • Martí Català

    (University of Oxford)

  • Annika M. Jödicke

    (University of Oxford)

Abstract

Persistent symptoms following the acute phase of COVID-19 present a major burden to both the affected and the wider community. We conducted a cohort study including over 856,840 first COVID-19 cases, 72,422 re-infections and more than 3.1 million first negative-test controls from primary care electronic health records from Spain and the UK (Sept 2020 to Jan 2022 (UK)/March 2022 (Spain)). We characterised post-acute COVID-19 symptoms and identified key symptoms associated with persistent disease. We estimated incidence rates of persisting symptoms in the general population and among COVID-19 patients over time. Subsequently, we investigated which WHO-listed symptoms were particularly differential by comparing their frequency in COVID-19 cases vs. matched test-negative controls. Lastly, we compared persistent symptoms after first infections vs. reinfections.Our study shows that the proportion of COVID-19 cases affected by persistent post-acute COVID-19 symptoms declined over the study period. Risk for altered smell/taste was consistently higher in patients with COVID-19 vs test-negative controls. Persistent symptoms were more common after reinfection than following a first infection. More research is needed into the definition of long COVID, and the effect of interventions to minimise the risk and impact of persistent symptoms.

Suggested Citation

  • Kristin Kostka & Elena Roel & Nhung T. H. Trinh & Núria Mercadé-Besora & Antonella Delmestri & Lourdes Mateu & Roger Paredes & Talita Duarte-Salles & Daniel Prieto-Alhambra & Martí Català & Annika M. , 2023. "The burden of post-acute COVID-19 symptoms in a multinational network cohort analysis," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 14(1), pages 1-10, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:natcom:v:14:y:2023:i:1:d:10.1038_s41467-023-42726-0
    DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-42726-0
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Karin Magnusson & Doris Tove Kristoffersen & Andrea Dell’Isola & Ali Kiadaliri & Aleksandra Turkiewicz & Jos Runhaar & Sita Bierma-Zeinstra & Martin Englund & Per Minor Magnus & Jonas Minet Kinge, 2022. "Post-covid medical complaints following infection with SARS-CoV-2 Omicron vs Delta variants," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 13(1), pages 1-9, December.
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