Persisting symptoms three to eight months after non-hospitalized COVID-19, a prospective cohort study

• DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0256142
• Publication Date: 2021-08-26T17:33:22Z
• Authors: Arne Søraas; Karl Trygve Kalle...; John Arne Dahl; Camilla Lund Søraas; Tor Åge Myklebust; Eyvind Axelsen; Andreas Lind; Roar Bævre-Jensen; Silje Bakken Jørg...; Mette S. Istre; Eyrun F. Kjetland; Giske Ursin
• Keywords: Adult; Male; Time Factors; Adolescent; Fever; Science; 150; Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction; 796; Young Adult; 03 medical and health sciences; Post-Acute COVID-19 Syndrome; 0302 clinical medicine; Surveys and Questionnaires; Humans; Prospective Studies; Fatigue; Aged; SARS-CoV-2; Q; R; COVID-19; Middle Aged; 16. Peace & justice; 3. Good health; Medicine; RNA, Viral; Female; Self Report; Research Article; Follow-Up Studies

Long-COVID-19 is a proposed syndrome negatively affecting the health of COVID-19 patients. We present data on self-rated health three to eight months after laboratory confirmed COVID-19 disease compared to a control group of SARS-CoV-2 negative patients. We followed a cohort of 8786 non-hospitalized patients who were invited after SARS-CoV-2 testing between February 1 and April 15, 2020 (794 positive, 7229 negative). Participants answered online surveys at baseline and follow-up including questions on demographics, symptoms, risk factors for SARS-CoV-2, and self-rated health compared to one year ago. Determinants for a worsening of self-rated health as compared to one year ago among the SARS-CoV-2 positive group were analyzed using multivariate logistic regression and also compared to the population norm. The follow-up questionnaire was completed by 85% of the SARS-CoV-2 positive and 75% of the SARS-CoV-2 negative participants on average 132 days after the SARS-CoV-2 test. At follow-up, 36% of the SARS-CoV-2 positive participants rated their health “somewhat” or “much” worse than one year ago. In contrast, 18% of the SARS-CoV-2 negative participants reported a similar deterioration of health while the population norm is 12%. Sore throat and cough were more frequently reported by the control group at follow-up. Neither gender nor follow-up time was associated with the multivariate odds of worsening of self-reported health compared to one year ago. Age had an inverted-U formed association with a worsening of health while being fit and being a health professional were associated with lower multivariate odds. A significant proportion of non-hospitalized COVID-19 patients, regardless of age, have not returned to their usual health three to eight months after infection.