The relationship between long COVID, labor productivity, and socioeconomic losses in Japan: A cohort study 2025 Masaki et al

Highlights

• Long COVID reduces work productivity.
• The longer long COVID lasts, the greater the amount of economic loss.
• This study assessed long COVID in Japanese society.
• Patient-reported outcomes were considered to understand the impact of long COVID.
• Results showed that symptom duration influenced lasting effects of long COVID.

Abstract

Objectives
We examined shifts in labor productivity and their economic ramifications among adult patients with long COVID in Japan.

Methods
A total of 396 patients were categorized into three groups based on symptom progression: non-long COVID, long COVID recovered, and long COVID persistent. Patient-reported outcomes were assessed at three time intervals: 3, 6, and 12 months after COVID-19 diagnosis. Labor productivity was gauged through presenteeism and absenteeism, measured using the World Health Organization Health and Work Performance Questionnaire.

Results
Long COVID was observed in 52.7% of patients, and 29.3% of all the patients continued to experience long COVID symptoms 1 year after diagnosis. At all three time points (3, 6, and 12 months after diagnosis), the long COVID persistent group showed a statistically significant difference in absolute presenteeism compared with the non-long COVID and long COVID recovered groups (P <0.01). Economic loss owing to decrease in labor productivity was calculated as $21,659 per year in the long COVID persistent group and $9008 per year in the long COVID recovered group (P <0.01).

Conclusion
The study's results revealed a notable decline in labor productivity over time, underscoring the importance of early detection and intervention to mitigate the socio-economic repercussions of long COVID, in addition to its health implications.

Open access, https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2772707624001644

 

So many studies end in these statements, don't they. What intervention? What mitigation?