Abstract
ObjectiveIn a highly vaccinated Australian population, we aimed to compare ongoing symptoms and functional impairment 12 weeks after PCR-confirmed COVID-19 infection with PCR-confirmed influenza infection.Methods and analysisThe study commenced on a positive PCR test for either COVID-19 or influenza in June 2022 during concurrent waves of both viruses. Participants were followed up 12 weeks later in September 2022 and self-reported ongoing symptoms and functional impairment. We conducted a multivariate logistic regression analysis, controlling for age, sex, First Nations status, vaccination status and socioeconomic profile.ResultsThere were 2195 and 951 participants in the COVID-19 and influenza-positive cohorts, respectively. After controlling for potential predictor variables, we found no evidence to suggest that adults with COVID-19 were more likely to have ongoing symptoms (21.4% vs 23.0%, aOR 1.18; 95% CI 0.92 to 1.50) or moderate-to-severe functional impairment (4.1% vs 4.4%, OR 0.81; 95% CI 0.55 to 1.20) at 12 weeks after their diagnosis than adults who had influenza.ConclusionsIn a highly vaccinated population exposed to the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant, long COVID may manifest as a postviral syndrome of no greater severity than seasonal influenza but differing in terms of the volume of people affected and the potential impact on health systems. This study underscores the importance of long COVID research featuring an appropriate comparator group.Trial registration numberACTRN12623000041651.
Cited by
3 articles.
订阅此论文施引文献
订阅此论文施引文献,注册后可以免费订阅5篇论文的施引文献,订阅后可以查看论文全部施引文献