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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Main Authors: Jane Agergaard, Jesper Damsgaard Gunst, Berit Schiøttz-Christensen, Lars Østergaard, Christian Wejse
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Elsevier 2023-12-01
Series:International Journal of Infectious Diseases
Subjects:
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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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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