Post-COVID-19 condition in the German working population: A cross-sectional study of 200k registered stem cell donors 2022 Bernas et al

Abstract

Background
: The SARS-CoV-2 pandemic has strained health systems worldwide, and infection numbers continue to rise. While previous data have already shown that many patients suffer from symptoms for months after an acute infection, data on risk factors and long-term outcomes are incomplete, particularly for the working population.

Objectives
: We aimed to provide information on the prevalence of post COVID-19 conditions in a subset of the German working-age population (18-61 years old) and to analyze risk-factors.

Methods
: We conducted an online survey with a health questionnaire among registered potential stem cell donors with or without a self-reported history of PCR-confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection. Logistic regression models were used to examine the risks of severity of acute infection, sex, age, body mass index, diabetes mellitus and arterial hypertension medication on post COVID-19 symptoms.

Results
: 199,377 donors reported evaluable survey questionnaires: 12,609 cases had a history of SARS-CoV-2 infection and 186,768 controls had none. Overall, cases reported physical, cognitive and psychological complaints more frequently compared to controls. Increased rates of complaints persisted throughout 15 months post infection, e.g. 28.4/19.3% of cases/controls reported fatigue (p<0.0001) and 9.5/3.6% of cases/controls reported loss of concentration (p<0.0001). No significant differences were observed in the frequency of reported symptoms between three- and 15-months post-infection. Multivariate analysis revealed a strong influence of the severity of the acute SARS-CoV-2 infection episode and age on the risk for post-COVID-19 conditions.

Conclusion
: We report the prevalence of post-COVID-19 conditions in mainly unvaccinated individuals with SARS-CoV-2 infections between February 2020 and August 2021. Severity of the acute course and age were major risk factors. Vaccinations may reduce the risk of post-COVID-19 conditions by reducing the risk for severe infections.

Paywall, https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/joim.13587

 

Kind of funny how all the early research on LC was dismissed because it's from online surveys. And then most "official" papers use the same.

It's almost as if the issue is not with the use of online surveys, and more to do with being "official". Even if everything else is the same.

Almost.