(HealthDay News) — Incident conditions that may be attributable to COVID-19 are common among adult COVID-19 survivors, according to research published in the early-release issue of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.
Lara Bull-Otterson, PhD, from the CDC COVID-19 Emergency Response Team, and colleagues used electronic health record data during March 2020 to November 2021 to examine the incidence of 26 post-COVID conditions among patients with a previous COVID-19 diagnosis (case patients) compared with matched patients without evidence of COVID-19 (controls). Analyses were stratified by age groups (18 to 64 and ≥65 years). Follow-up was for 30 to 365 days after the index encounter.
The researchers found that 38% of case patients and 16% of controls experienced an incident condition. Multiple systems were affected by conditions, which included cardiovascular, pulmonary, hematologic, renal, endocrine, gastrointestinal, musculoskeletal, neurologic, and psychiatric signs and symptoms. The highest risk ratios were seen for acute pulmonary embolism (risk ratios, 2.1 and 2.2 for those aged 18 to 64 and ≥65 years, respectively) and respiratory signs and symptoms (risk ratio, 2.1 for both age groups). For those aged 18 to 64 years, 35.4 and 14.6% of case patients and controls experienced an incident condition, respectively; among those aged ≥65 years, the corresponding proportions were 45.4 and 18.5%. These findings translate to 1 in 5 and 1 in 4 COVID-19 survivors aged 18 to 64 and ≥65 years, respectively, experiencing an incident condition.
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“These findings can increase awareness for post-COVID conditions and improve post-acute care and management of patients after illness,” the authors write.
