1. Sign our petition calling on Cochrane to withdraw their review of Exercise Therapy for CFS here.
    Dismiss Notice
  2. Guest, the 'News in Brief' for the week beginning 8th April 2024 is here.
    Dismiss Notice
  3. Welcome! To read the Core Purpose and Values of our forum, click here.
    Dismiss Notice

Global Prevalence of Post COVID-19 Condition or Long COVID: A Meta-Analysis and Systematic Review, Chen et al, 2022

Discussion in 'Long Covid research' started by Kalliope, Apr 17, 2022.

Tags:
  1. Kalliope

    Kalliope Senior Member (Voting Rights)

    Messages:
    6,274
    Location:
    Norway
    J Infect Dis.
    Global Prevalence of Post COVID-19 Condition or Long COVID: A Meta-Analysis and Systematic Review Chen Chen et al

    Abstract
    Introduction: This study aims to examine the worldwide prevalence of post COVID-19 condition, through a systematic review and meta-analysis.

    Methods: PubMed, Embase, and iSearch were searched on July 5, 2021 with verification extending to March 13, 2022. Using a random effects framework with DerSimonian-Laird estimator, we meta-analyzed post COVID-19 condition prevalence at 28+ days from infection.

    Results: 50 studies were included, and 41 were meta-analyzed. Global estimated pooled prevalence of post COVID-19 condition was 0.43 (95% CI: 0.39,0.46). Hospitalized and non-hospitalized patients have estimates of 0.54 (95% CI: 0.44,0.63) and 0.34 (95% CI: 0.25,0.46), respectively. Regional prevalence estimates were Asia- 0.51 (95% CI: 0.37,0.65), Europe- 0.44 (95% CI: 0.32,0.56), and North America- 0.31 (95% CI: 0.21,0.43). Global prevalence for 30, 60, 90, and 120 days after infection were estimated to be 0.37 (95% CI: 0.26,0.49), 0.25 (95% CI: 0.15,0.38), 0.32 (95% CI: 0.14,0.57) and 0.49 (95% CI: 0.40,0.59), respectively. Fatigue was the most common symptom reported with a prevalence of 0.23 (95% CI: 0.17,0.30), followed by memory problems (0.14 [95% CI: 0.10,0.19]).

    Discussion: This study finds post COVID-19 condition prevalence is substantial; the health effects of COVID-19 appear to be prolonged and can exert stress on the healthcare system.
     
    Kalliope, Apr 17, 2022
    #1
    Snow Leopard, DokaGirl, Peter Trewhitt and 1 other person like this.
  2. Kalliope

    Kalliope Senior Member (Voting Rights)

    Messages:
    6,274
    Location:
    Norway
    Kalliope, Apr 17, 2022
    #2
    Hutan, DokaGirl, alktipping and 7 others like this.
  3. Hutan

    Hutan Moderator Staff Member

    Messages:
    26,850
    Location:
    Aotearoa New Zealand
    Having seen the quality of the studies that probably contributed to this paper, I don't set much store by the reported findings. I can't see the paper itself.

    I understand why Jonas Kunst, an ME/CFS researcher, might want to leap on this and say "Its high prevalence and debilitating symptoms seem to overlap largely with conditions such as #MECFS."

    But - the abstract of this paper doesn't define 'post-COVID condition'. Reporting a symptom in the months following a Covid-19 infection is not the same as having ME/CFS- and there are a number of reasons for having symptoms. Implicitly suggesting that upwards of 30% of people who had a Covid-19 infection are likely to have ME/CFS isn't believable and downgrades the seriousness of ME/CFS-compliant Long Covid. We need ME/CFS scientists to bring clarity to the situation.

    None of the people I personally know who have had Covid-19 have experienced lasting symptoms. But of course ME/CFS after Covid-19 is happening, and of course it's a public health crisis. It's bad enough that it needs no exaggeration.
     
    Last edited: Apr 18, 2022
    Hutan, Apr 18, 2022
    #3
    Snow Leopard, Chezboo, alktipping and 6 others like this.
  4. Wyva

    Wyva Senior Member (Voting Rights)

    Messages:
    1,389
    Location:
    Budapest, Hungary
    I remember when professor Janszky gave that presentation on ME/CFS at the long covid symposium of the National Academy of Sciences here, then he immediately brought up the wide range of the reported prevalence of long covid (his examples were between 10% and 60% I think). He talked about this is in a way that implied that this might not be a real physical problem after covid but more like somatization, because the numbers are too unrealistic. (And then he went on to talk about ME/CFS.)
     
    Wyva, Apr 18, 2022
    #4
    NelliePledge, Peter Trewhitt, Hutan and 1 other person like this.
  5. Braganca

    Braganca Senior Member (Voting Rights)

    Messages:
    314
    Braganca, Apr 18, 2022
    #5
    Hutan, Peter Trewhitt and Trish like this.
  6. ME/CFS Skeptic

    ME/CFS Skeptic Senior Member (Voting Rights)

    Messages:
    3,507
    Location:
    Belgium
    Agree. I don't understand why there isn't more criticism of the vague definition of long covid. If researchers believe than 40% of patients with COVID-19, develop long covid, then they must have included minor symptoms.

    For those who develop ME/CFS or other very disabling symptoms after COVID-19 this must be rather frustrating to have all these people included in the same definition.
     
    ME/CFS Skeptic, Apr 19, 2022
    #6
    ahimsa, Chezboo, Peter Trewhitt and 4 others like this.
  7. ME/CFS Skeptic

    ME/CFS Skeptic Senior Member (Voting Rights)

    Messages:
    3,507
    Location:
    Belgium
    Solve ME/CFS has also published a report about this which states:

    "Our model estimates that of all people infected with COVID-19, 30% will develop at least one lingering symptom, and 10% will develop a disabling case of Long Covid (DLC) severe enough to interfere with employment or activities of daily living. These rates are derived from Whitaker et al (2021), a community sample of 500,000 people17 that explores the prevalence of post-COVID symptoms in a general, non-hospitalized population"
    https://solvecfs.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/Long_Covid_Impact_Paper.pdf
    ​
    The Whitaker paper, however, is retrospective and did not include a control group as far as I can see.
     
    ME/CFS Skeptic, Apr 19, 2022
    #7
    ahimsa, Peter Trewhitt, Hutan and 2 others like this.
  8. Midnattsol

    Midnattsol Moderator Staff Member

    Messages:
    3,597
    Kunst is not a ME/CFS researcher unless he has changed fields recently. His twitter has become more long-covid dominated during the pandemic, but I'm not sure that reflects a change in his field of work. If I remember corectly he has worked with stigma previously, and he did get a minor bit of what pwME are dealing with trying to discuss the evidence base of GET/CBT/Lightning process with Henrik Vogt on twitter.
     
    Midnattsol, Apr 19, 2022
    #8
    sebaaa, Snow Leopard, Starlight and 3 others like this.

Share This Page