Factors associated with reduction in quality of life after SARS-CoV-2 infection, 2025, Neumann et al

Factors associated with reduction in quality of life after SARS-CoV-2 infection

Christian Neumann, Tim J Hartung, Klara Boje, Thomas Bahmer, Julian Keil, Wolfgang Lieb, Katrin Franzpoetter, Julius Welzel, Irina Chaplinskaya-Sobol, Matthias Endres, Johanna Geritz, Karl Georg Haeusler, Peter Heuschmann, Andreas Hinz, Sina Hopff, Anna Horn, Carolin Nuernberger, Lena Schmidbauer, Michael Krawczak, Anne-Kathrin Ruß, Lilian Krist, Thomas Keil, Jennifer Kudelka, Corina Maetzler, Anja Mehnert-Theuerkauf, Felipe A Montellano, Caroline Morbach, Sein Schmidt, Jan Heyckendorf, Flo Steigerwald, Stefan Stoerk, Christina Lemhoefer, Stefan Schreiber, Carsten Finke, Walter Maetzler

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Abstract
Long-term changes in health-related quality of life (HrQoL) after SARS-CoV-2 infection are common, but their causes and consequences are poorly understood.

This prospective, population-based study examined associations between HrQoL and 49 demographic and clinical variables. HrQoL was assessed using the European Quality-of-Life-5-Dimensions-5-Level-Version in 3,475 participants (56% female; aged 18–88 years) approximately 9 months (baseline) and 26 months (follow-up) after their initial infection. Results were compared with the demographic and clinical variables using recursive feature elimination and random forest regression analyses.

A statistically significant improvement in HrQoL was observed during the observation period. At baseline, 39% of the variance in HrQoL was explained by fatigue, muscle pain, number of remaining symptoms (RS), perceived stress, and age. At follow-up, fatigue, RS, perceived stress, muscle and joint pain, and age explained 54% of the variance in HrQoL.

Changes in HrQoL were associated with changes in fatigue, RS, and perceived stress, meaning that if these decreased from baseline to follow-up, then HrQoL was improved. However, it was not possible to predict whether an individual’s HrQoL would improve or worsen 1 year later based on baseline variable scores. The aforementioned symptoms are specifically associated with impairment in the population’s usual activities.

Link | PDF (Scientific Reports) [Open Access]

 

The measured perceived stress. Wyller has to be in shambles..