Long-term prognosis at 1.5 years after infection with wild-type strain of SARS-CoV-2 and Alpha, Delta, as well as Omicron variants
Objectives: Knowledge is limited on how changing SARS-CoV-2 variants may translate into different characteristics and affect the prognosis of patients with long COVID, especially following Omicron variants. We compared long-term prognosis of patients in a Danish Post-COVID Clinic infected with wild-...
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Language: | English |
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Elsevier
2023-12-01
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Series: | International Journal of Infectious Diseases |
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Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1201971223007609 |
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author | Jane Agergaard Jesper Damsgaard Gunst Berit Schiøttz-Christensen Lars Østergaard Christian Wejse |
author_facet | Jane Agergaard Jesper Damsgaard Gunst Berit Schiøttz-Christensen Lars Østergaard Christian Wejse |
author_sort | Jane Agergaard |
collection | DOAJ |
description | Objectives: Knowledge is limited on how changing SARS-CoV-2 variants may translate into different characteristics and affect the prognosis of patients with long COVID, especially following Omicron variants. We compared long-term prognosis of patients in a Danish Post-COVID Clinic infected with wild-type strain, Alpha, Delta, or Omicron variants as well as the pre-Omicron compared to the Omicron period. Methods: At enrollment, a Post-COVID symptom Questionnaire (PCQ), and standard health scores, were registered and repeated four times until 1.5 years after infection. PCQ was the primary outcome to assess the severity of long COVID, and Delta PCQ to assess failure to improve. Results: A total of 806 patients were enrolled. Patients infected with Omicron and Delta variants presented with more severe long COVID (median PCQ 43 in Delta vs 38 in wild-type, P = 0.003) and health scores (EuroQol five-dimension five-level-index was 0.70 in Omicron vs 0.76 in wild-type, P = 0.009 and 0.78 pre-Omicron, P = 0.006). At 1.5 years after infection, patients had no clinically meaningful decline in severity of long COVID, and 57% (245/429) of patients failed to improve 1.5 years after infection, with no differences between variants. Conclusion: More than half of patients referred to a Post-COVID Clinic failed to improve in long COVID severity 1.5 years after infection regardless of variants of SARS-CoV-2. |
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institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
issn | 1201-9712 |
language | English |
last_indexed | 2024-03-09T10:53:26Z |
publishDate | 2023-12-01 |
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series | International Journal of Infectious Diseases |
spelling | doaj.art-7ba68bd258cb4caebec2ff909060cba82023-12-01T05:00:57ZengElsevierInternational Journal of Infectious Diseases1201-97122023-12-01137126133Long-term prognosis at 1.5 years after infection with wild-type strain of SARS-CoV-2 and Alpha, Delta, as well as Omicron variantsJane Agergaard0Jesper Damsgaard Gunst1Berit Schiøttz-Christensen2Lars Østergaard3Christian Wejse4Department of Infectious Diseases, Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus N, Denmark; Department of Clinical Medicine, Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus N, Denmark; Corresponding author:Department of Infectious Diseases, Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus N, DenmarkDepartment of Infectious Diseases, Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus N, Denmark; Research Unit of General Practice, University of Southern Denmark, Odense M, DenmarkDepartment of Infectious Diseases, Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus N, Denmark; Department of Clinical Medicine, Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus N, DenmarkDepartment of Infectious Diseases, Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus N, Denmark; Department of Clinical Medicine, Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus N, Denmark; Center of Global Health, Department of Public Health, Aarhus University, Aarhus C, DenmarkObjectives: Knowledge is limited on how changing SARS-CoV-2 variants may translate into different characteristics and affect the prognosis of patients with long COVID, especially following Omicron variants. We compared long-term prognosis of patients in a Danish Post-COVID Clinic infected with wild-type strain, Alpha, Delta, or Omicron variants as well as the pre-Omicron compared to the Omicron period. Methods: At enrollment, a Post-COVID symptom Questionnaire (PCQ), and standard health scores, were registered and repeated four times until 1.5 years after infection. PCQ was the primary outcome to assess the severity of long COVID, and Delta PCQ to assess failure to improve. Results: A total of 806 patients were enrolled. Patients infected with Omicron and Delta variants presented with more severe long COVID (median PCQ 43 in Delta vs 38 in wild-type, P = 0.003) and health scores (EuroQol five-dimension five-level-index was 0.70 in Omicron vs 0.76 in wild-type, P = 0.009 and 0.78 pre-Omicron, P = 0.006). At 1.5 years after infection, patients had no clinically meaningful decline in severity of long COVID, and 57% (245/429) of patients failed to improve 1.5 years after infection, with no differences between variants. Conclusion: More than half of patients referred to a Post-COVID Clinic failed to improve in long COVID severity 1.5 years after infection regardless of variants of SARS-CoV-2.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1201971223007609Long COVIDOmicronVariantSARS-CoV-2Long-term prognosis |
spellingShingle | Jane Agergaard Jesper Damsgaard Gunst Berit Schiøttz-Christensen Lars Østergaard Christian Wejse Long-term prognosis at 1.5 years after infection with wild-type strain of SARS-CoV-2 and Alpha, Delta, as well as Omicron variants International Journal of Infectious Diseases Long COVID Omicron Variant SARS-CoV-2 Long-term prognosis |
title | Long-term prognosis at 1.5 years after infection with wild-type strain of SARS-CoV-2 and Alpha, Delta, as well as Omicron variants |
title_full | Long-term prognosis at 1.5 years after infection with wild-type strain of SARS-CoV-2 and Alpha, Delta, as well as Omicron variants |
title_fullStr | Long-term prognosis at 1.5 years after infection with wild-type strain of SARS-CoV-2 and Alpha, Delta, as well as Omicron variants |
title_full_unstemmed | Long-term prognosis at 1.5 years after infection with wild-type strain of SARS-CoV-2 and Alpha, Delta, as well as Omicron variants |
title_short | Long-term prognosis at 1.5 years after infection with wild-type strain of SARS-CoV-2 and Alpha, Delta, as well as Omicron variants |
title_sort | long term prognosis at 1 5 years after infection with wild type strain of sars cov 2 and alpha delta as well as omicron variants |
topic | Long COVID Omicron Variant SARS-CoV-2 Long-term prognosis |
url | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1201971223007609 |
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