by University of Oxford

Incidence rate of post-acute COVID-19 symptoms in the infected cohort. Note: Plots have been scaled independently so that all incidences can be visualized. Credit: eClinicalMedicine (2024). DOI: 10.1016/j.eclinm.2024.102903

A new international study has shed light on the significant burden of post-acute COVID-19 symptoms across North America, Europe and Asia.

For an article published in eClinicalMedicine, NDORMS researchers analyzed data from 10 large health care databases in 7 countries, covering more than 932 million individuals, including more than 3 million individuals diagnosed with COVID-19.

They found that post-COVID symptoms listed by the World Health Organization (WHO) are commonly experienced by those who have recovered from COVID-19 infection, the most frequently reported symptoms being joint pain, abdominal discomfort, gastrointestinal issues, cough, and anxiety. Some symptoms like muscle spasms and cognitive dysfunction were found to be less common.

Co-first author of the study Junqing Xie said, "Incidence rates for specific symptoms varied widely across different health care settings, but compared to the general population, those who had COVID-19 had a 40% higher incidence of developing any post-acute symptom.

"Notably, we found that the incidence of these symptoms generally increased with age, and women exhibited higher rates of several post-acute symptoms compared to men.

"Yet, these patterns could differ or even completely reverse for some specific symptoms, which stresses the possible heterogeneous manifestations of post-acute COVID-19 between individuals."

The findings underscore the substantial and prolonged burden that many COVID-19 survivors continue to face and highlight the challenges in characterizing and managing the condition in health care settings.

"This is the first truly international study to systematically evaluate the epidemiology of post-acute COVID-19 symptoms using the WHO's clinical case definition," said Kim López-Güell, co-first author.

"As COVID-19 continues to affect global health, the findings from this study provide critical insights into the long-term consequences of the virus and the challenges it presents for health care systems worldwide.

"By addressing these findings through enhanced treatment strategies, resource allocation, and ongoing research, health care providers can better support the millions of individuals navigating life after COVID-19."

More information: Junqing Xie et al, Incidence of post-acute COVID-19 symptoms across healthcare settings in seven countries: an international retrospective cohort study using routinely-collected data, eClinicalMedicine (2024). DOI: 10.1016/j.eclinm.2024.102903

Journal information: EClinicalMedicine 

Provided by University of Oxford