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Journal Article Epublish 10 citations

PubMed: 38535610 DOI: 10.3390/pathogens13030267

The Course of COVID-19 and Long COVID: Identifying Risk Factors among Patients Suffering from the Disease before and during the Omicron-Dominant Period.

Pathogens 13(3)

Authors: Mateusz Babicki, Damian Kołat, Żaneta Kałuzińska-Kołat, Joanna Kapusta, Agnieszka Mastalerz-Migas, Piotr Jankowski, Michał Chudzik

Affiliations

  • Department of Family Medicine, Wroclaw Medical University, 51-141 Wroclaw, Poland.
  • Department of Biomedicine and Experimental Surgery, Medical University of Lodz, Narutowicza 60, 90-136 Lodz, Poland.
  • Department of Functional Genomics, Medical University of Lodz, Żeligowskiego 7/9, 90-752 Lodz, Poland.
  • Department of Internal Diseases, Rehabilitation and Physical Medicine, Medical University of Lodz, 90-647 Lodz, Poland.
  • Department of Internal Medicine and Geriatric Cardiology, Medical Centre for Postgraduate Education, 01-813 Warsaw, Poland.
  • Department of Nephrology, Hypertension and Family Medicine, Medical University of Lodz, 90-549 Lodz, Poland.

Abstract

SARS-CoV-2 has acquired many mutations that influence the severity of COVID-19's course or the risk of developing long COVID. In 2022, the dominant SARS-CoV-2 variant was Omicron. This study aimed to compare the course of COVID-19 in the periods before and during the dominance of the Omicron variant. Risk factors for developing long COVID were also assessed. This study was based on stationary visits of patients after COVID-19 and follow-up assessments after 3 months. Clinical symptoms, comorbidities, and vaccination status were evaluated in 1967 patients. Of the analyzed group, 1308 patients (66.5%) were affected by COVID-19 in the period before the Omicron dominance. The prevalence of long COVID was significantly lower among patients of the Omicron group (47.7% vs. 66.9%, < 0.001). The risk of long COVID was higher for women (OR: 1.61; 95% CI: 1.31, 1.99]) and asthmatics (OR: 1.46; 95% CI: 1.03, 2.07]). Conclusively, infection during the Omicron-dominant period was linked to a lower risk of developing long COVID. Females are at higher risk of developing long COVID independent of the pandemic period. Individuals affected by COVID-19 in the Omicron-dominant period experience a shorter duration of symptoms and reduced frequency of symptoms, except for coughing, which occurs more often.

MeSH

Signs And Symptoms, Covid-19, Risk Factors, Post-Acute Covid-19 Syndrome

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