Preprint: Factors Associated with Long Covid Symptoms in an Online Cohort Study 2022 Durstenfeld et al

ABSTRACT

Importance
Prolonged symptoms following SARS-CoV-2 infection, or Long COVID, is common, but few prospective studies of Long COVID risk factors have been conducted.

Objective
To determine whether sociodemographic factors, lifestyle, or medical history preceding COVID-19 or characteristics of acute SARS-CoV-2 infection are associated with Long COVID.

Design
Cohort study with longitudinal assessment of symptoms before, during, and after SARS-CoV-2 infection, and cross-sectional assessment of Long COVID symptoms using data from the COVID-19 Citizen Science (CCS) study.

Setting
CCS is an online cohort study that began enrolling March 26, 2020. We included data collected between March 26, 2020, and May 18, 2022.

Participants
Adult CCS participants who reported a positive SARS-CoV-2 test result (PCR, Antigen, or Antibody) more than 30 days prior to May 4, 2022, were surveyed.

Exposures
Age, sex, race/ethnicity, education, employment, socioeconomic status/financial insecurity, self-reported medical history, vaccination status, time of infection (variant wave), number of acute symptoms, pre-COVID depression, anxiety, alcohol and drug use, sleep, exercise.

Main Outcome
Presence of at least 1 Long COVID symptom greater than 1 month after acute infection. Sensitivity analyses were performed considering only symptoms beyond 3 months and only severe symptoms.

Results
13,305 participants reported a SARS-CoV-2 positive test more than 30 days prior, 1480 (11.1% of eligible) responded to a survey about Long COVID symptoms, and 476 (32.2% of respondents) reported Long COVID symptoms (median 360 days after infection).

Respondents’ mean age was 53 and 1017 (69%) were female. Common Long COVID symptoms included fatigue, reported by 230/476 (48.3%), shortness of breath (109, 22.9%), confusion/brain fog (108, 22.7%), headache (103, 21.6%), and altered taste or smell (98, 20.6%). In multivariable models, number of acute COVID-19 symptoms (OR 1.30 per symptom, 95%CI 1.20-1.40), lower socioeconomic status/financial insecurity (OR 1.62, 95%CI 1.02-2.63), pre-infection depression (OR 1.08, 95%CI 1.01-1.16), and earlier variants (OR 0.37 for Omicron compared to ancestral strain, 95%CI 0.15-0.90) were associated with Long COVID symptoms.

Conclusions and Relevance
Variant wave, severity of acute infection, lower socioeconomic status and pre-existing depression are associated with Long COVID symptoms.

https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2022.12.01.22282987v1

 

Even the prospective studies are superficial and essentially useless. 11% response rate from online surveys and basically no depth of information. None of professional studies have been better than the patient-led ones so far.

At this point they may as well use psychics to figure out causative factors if all they do is the most superficial entry-level studies. The data will be just as useful.

 

Now published.

Abstract

Background
Few prospective studies of Long COVID risk factors have been conducted. The purpose of this study was to determine whether sociodemographic factors, lifestyle, or medical history preceding COVID-19 or characteristics of acute severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection are associated with Long COVID.

Methods
In March 26, 2020, the COVID-19 Citizen Science study, an online cohort study, began enrolling participants with longitudinal assessment of symptoms before, during, and after SARS-CoV-2 infection. Adult participants who reported a positive SARS-CoV-2 test result before April 4, 2022 were surveyed for Long COVID symptoms. The primary outcome was at least 1 prevalent Long COVID symptom greater than 1 month after acute infection. Exposures of interest included age, sex, race/ethnicity, education, employment, socioeconomic status/financial insecurity, self-reported medical history, vaccination status, variant wave, number of acute symptoms, pre-COVID depression, anxiety, alcohol and drug use, sleep, and exercise.

Results
Of 13 305 participants who reported a SARS-CoV-2 positive test, 1480 (11.1%) responded. Respondents’ mean age was 53 and 1017 (69%) were female. Four hundred seventy-six (32.2%) participants reported Long COVID symptoms at a median 360 days after infection. In multivariable models, number of acute symptoms (odds ratio [OR], 1.30 per symptom; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.20–1.40), lower socioeconomic status/financial insecurity (OR, 1.62; 95% CI, 1.02–2.63), preinfection depression (OR, 1.08; 95% CI, 1.01–1.16), and earlier variants (OR = 0.37 for Omicron compared with ancestral strain; 95% CI, 0.15–0.90) were associated with Long COVID symptoms.

Conclusions
Variant wave, severity of acute infection, lower socioeconomic status, and pre-existing depression are associated with Long COVID symptoms.

Open access, https://academic.oup.com/ofid/article/10/2/ofad047/7022113