The Course of COVID-19 and Long COVID: Identifying Risk Factors among Patients Suffering from the Disease before and during the Omicron-Dominant Period
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...
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| Format: | Article |
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MDPI AG
2024-03-01
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| Series: | Pathogens |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-0817/13/3/267 |
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| author | Mateusz Babicki Damian Kołat Żaneta Kałuzińska-Kołat Joanna Kapusta Agnieszka Mastalerz-Migas Piotr Jankowski Michał Chudzik |
| author_facet | Mateusz Babicki Damian Kołat Żaneta Kałuzińska-Kołat Joanna Kapusta Agnieszka Mastalerz-Migas Piotr Jankowski Michał Chudzik |
| author_sort | Mateusz Babicki |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | 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%, <i>p</i> < 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. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-24T17:56:06Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-70159474908040d4a58bd105cb9d0ed6 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2076-0817 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-24T17:56:06Z |
| publishDate | 2024-03-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Pathogens |
| spelling | doaj.art-70159474908040d4a58bd105cb9d0ed62024-03-27T13:59:00ZengMDPI AGPathogens2076-08172024-03-0113326710.3390/pathogens13030267The Course of COVID-19 and Long COVID: Identifying Risk Factors among Patients Suffering from the Disease before and during the Omicron-Dominant PeriodMateusz Babicki0Damian Kołat1Żaneta Kałuzińska-Kołat2Joanna Kapusta3Agnieszka Mastalerz-Migas4Piotr Jankowski5Michał Chudzik6Department of Family Medicine, Wroclaw Medical University, 51-141 Wroclaw, PolandDepartment of Biomedicine and Experimental Surgery, Medical University of Lodz, Narutowicza 60, 90-136 Lodz, PolandDepartment of Biomedicine and Experimental Surgery, Medical University of Lodz, Narutowicza 60, 90-136 Lodz, PolandDepartment of Internal Diseases, Rehabilitation and Physical Medicine, Medical University of Lodz, 90-647 Lodz, PolandDepartment of Family Medicine, Wroclaw Medical University, 51-141 Wroclaw, PolandDepartment of Internal Medicine and Geriatric Cardiology, Medical Centre for Postgraduate Education, 01-813 Warsaw, PolandDepartment of Internal Medicine and Geriatric Cardiology, Medical Centre for Postgraduate Education, 01-813 Warsaw, PolandSARS-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%, <i>p</i> < 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.https://www.mdpi.com/2076-0817/13/3/267COVID-19Omicronpre-Omicronlong COVIDrisk factors |
| spellingShingle | Mateusz Babicki Damian Kołat Żaneta Kałuzińska-Kołat Joanna Kapusta Agnieszka Mastalerz-Migas Piotr Jankowski Michał Chudzik 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 COVID-19 Omicron pre-Omicron long COVID risk factors |
| title | The Course of COVID-19 and Long COVID: Identifying Risk Factors among Patients Suffering from the Disease before and during the Omicron-Dominant Period |
| title_full | The Course of COVID-19 and Long COVID: Identifying Risk Factors among Patients Suffering from the Disease before and during the Omicron-Dominant Period |
| title_fullStr | The Course of COVID-19 and Long COVID: Identifying Risk Factors among Patients Suffering from the Disease before and during the Omicron-Dominant Period |
| title_full_unstemmed | The Course of COVID-19 and Long COVID: Identifying Risk Factors among Patients Suffering from the Disease before and during the Omicron-Dominant Period |
| title_short | The Course of COVID-19 and Long COVID: Identifying Risk Factors among Patients Suffering from the Disease before and during the Omicron-Dominant Period |
| title_sort | course of covid 19 and long covid identifying risk factors among patients suffering from the disease before and during the omicron dominant period |
| topic | COVID-19 Omicron pre-Omicron long COVID risk factors |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-0817/13/3/267 |
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