Author:
Marjenberg Zoe,Leng Sean,Tascini Carlo,Garg Megha,Misso Kate,El Guerche Seblain Clotilde,Shaikh Nabila
Abstract
AbstractThis review aimed to summarise the relative risk (RR) of the main symptoms of long COVID in people infected with SARS-CoV-2 compared to uninfected controls, as well as the difference in health-related quality of life (HRQoL) after infection. MEDLINE, EMBASE, PubMed, NLM-LitCovid, WHO-COVID-19, arXiv and Europe-PMC were searched up to 23rd March 2022. Studies reporting risk (four or more weeks after infection) of fatigue, shortness of breath, and cognitive dysfunction, as well as comparative HRQoL outcomes, were included. Pairwise random-effects meta-analyses were performed to pool risks of individual symptoms. Thirty-three studies were identified; twenty studies reporting symptom risks were included in the meta-analyses. Overall, infection with SARS-CoV-2 carried significantly higher risk of fatigue (RR 1.72, 95% confidence intervals [CIs] 1.41, 2.10), shortness of breath (RR 2.60, 95% CIs 1.96, 3.44), memory difficulties (RR 2.53, 95% CIs 1.30, 4.93), and concentration difficulties (RR 2.14, 95% CIs 1.25, 3.67). Quality of life findings were varied and comparisons between studies were challenging due to different HRQoL instruments used and study heterogeneity, although studies indicated that severe hospitalised COVID is associated with a significantly poorer HRQoL after infection. These risks are likely to constantly change as vaccines, reinfections, and new variants alter global immunity.
Publisher
Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Reference67 articles.
1. NICE. Overview|COVID-19 rapid guideline: managing the long-term effects of COVID-19 | Guidance|NICE. 1–111 https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ng188 (2021).
2. Greenhalgh, T., Knight, M., A’Court, C., Buxton, M. & Husain, L. Management of post-acute covid-19 in primary care. BMJ 370, 3026 (2020).
3. Soriano, J. B., Murthy, S., Marshall, J. C., Relan, P. & Diaz, J. V. A clinical case definition of post-COVID-19 condition by a Delphi consensus. Lancet Infect. Dis. 22, e102–e107 (2022).
4. World Health Organization. A clinical case definition of post COVID-19 condition by a Delphi consensus, 6 October 2021. 27 file:///C:/Users/pbradley/Downloads/WHO-2019-nCoV-Post-COVID-19-condition-Clinical-case-definition-2021.1-eng.pdf (2021).
5. Michelen, M. et al. Characterising long COVID: a living systematic review. BMJ Glob Health 6, e005427 (2021).