Source: Deutsches Ärzteblatt
"Long-COVID prevalence at maximum 30 percent, according to preliminary data from southern Germany
Thursday, March 3, 2022
Freiburg, Germany - Prevalences to Long COVID in adults vary in studies from about 2% to more than 60%. However, the follow-up time of most studies is relatively short, up to 3 months after acute illness.
The unpublished analysis of the 1st phase of the EPILOC trial, which started in August 2021, now suggests a prevalence of 20 to 30% even beyond 6 months after acute infection. The results are expected to appear shortly as a preprint. They are based on a population-based survey of adults formerly infected with COVID-19 in specific counties in Baden-Württemberg, Germany. There was no control group. However, only complaints that did not exist before the acute infection were considered.
With the help of the responsible health authorities, questionnaires were sent by mail to people aged 18 to 65 years who had contracted Corona in the period October 2020 to March 2021. These questionnaires asked for information about the SARS-CoV-2 infection at the time, the development of symptoms, and the current health situation, ability to work, and quality of life. More than 12,000 people took part in the survey - the response rate was thus 25%.
At 32%, "rapid physical exhaustion" was the most frequently named individual symptom, project leader Winfried Kern of the University Medical Center Freiburg reported to the German Medical Journal upon request. Other frequently named individual complaints were concentration disorders, shortness of breath, chronic fatigue, odor disorders and memory problems.
"Frequently, several symptoms were named together in the sense of a symptom cluster, for example, concentration disorders with memory problems or confusion. Specifically, this symptom cluster and also fatigue/rapid physical exhaustion were significantly associated with reduced work ability," Kern explained.
A medical follow-up is planned in Phase 2 of the EPILOC study, which will start in December 2021. Self-reporting by questionnaire alone is not to be relied upon. In particular, complaints of fatigue and neurocognitive impairment call for further examinations, including cardiopulmonary function tests under stress.
""Possible definitions of post-COVID include
A symptom of any severity
Symptoms of moderate or greater severity
Symptoms that are also associated with impaired quality of life or ability to work""
Depending on how post-COVID syndrome would be defined in detail (see box), the EPILOC study yields an estimated prevalence 6 to 12 months after acute infection in the range of 20% to 30%. About half of those infected at that time no longer had any health problems at the time of the study, and no reduced ability to work or impaired general health was reported. In their case, the infection apparently healed without consequences. Of the other study participants, complaints were still reported that are not very restrictive or are unlikely to be specific, explains infectiologist Kern.
On the other hand, we observed that a more severe acute infection and also the female gender were associated with higher prevalences. Winfried Kern of the University Hospital Freiburg
How much time had passed since the infection (6 to 12 months) hardly influenced the prevalence, Kern summarized the preliminary results and continued: "On the other hand, we could observe that a more severe acute infection and also the female gender were linked to higher prevalences."
The following factors had a somewhat weaker effect on increasing Long COVID prevalence, and in some cases only for certain symptom clusters: Those at higher risk included smokers, people with certain underlying conditions, such as pre-existing mental illness or obesity.
Age had a rather small influence. However, people older than 65 years were deliberately not included in the study. No reliable statement can yet be made about the significance of vaccination after acute infection on the frequency of complaints, Kern said."
WUM
Translated with www.DeepL.com/Translator (free version)
"Long-COVID prevalence at maximum 30 percent, according to preliminary data from southern Germany
Thursday, March 3, 2022
Freiburg, Germany - Prevalences to Long COVID in adults vary in studies from about 2% to more than 60%. However, the follow-up time of most studies is relatively short, up to 3 months after acute illness.
The unpublished analysis of the 1st phase of the EPILOC trial, which started in August 2021, now suggests a prevalence of 20 to 30% even beyond 6 months after acute infection. The results are expected to appear shortly as a preprint. They are based on a population-based survey of adults formerly infected with COVID-19 in specific counties in Baden-Württemberg, Germany. There was no control group. However, only complaints that did not exist before the acute infection were considered.
With the help of the responsible health authorities, questionnaires were sent by mail to people aged 18 to 65 years who had contracted Corona in the period October 2020 to March 2021. These questionnaires asked for information about the SARS-CoV-2 infection at the time, the development of symptoms, and the current health situation, ability to work, and quality of life. More than 12,000 people took part in the survey - the response rate was thus 25%.
At 32%, "rapid physical exhaustion" was the most frequently named individual symptom, project leader Winfried Kern of the University Medical Center Freiburg reported to the German Medical Journal upon request. Other frequently named individual complaints were concentration disorders, shortness of breath, chronic fatigue, odor disorders and memory problems.
"Frequently, several symptoms were named together in the sense of a symptom cluster, for example, concentration disorders with memory problems or confusion. Specifically, this symptom cluster and also fatigue/rapid physical exhaustion were significantly associated with reduced work ability," Kern explained.
A medical follow-up is planned in Phase 2 of the EPILOC study, which will start in December 2021. Self-reporting by questionnaire alone is not to be relied upon. In particular, complaints of fatigue and neurocognitive impairment call for further examinations, including cardiopulmonary function tests under stress.
""Possible definitions of post-COVID include
A symptom of any severity
Symptoms of moderate or greater severity
Symptoms that are also associated with impaired quality of life or ability to work""
Depending on how post-COVID syndrome would be defined in detail (see box), the EPILOC study yields an estimated prevalence 6 to 12 months after acute infection in the range of 20% to 30%. About half of those infected at that time no longer had any health problems at the time of the study, and no reduced ability to work or impaired general health was reported. In their case, the infection apparently healed without consequences. Of the other study participants, complaints were still reported that are not very restrictive or are unlikely to be specific, explains infectiologist Kern.
On the other hand, we observed that a more severe acute infection and also the female gender were associated with higher prevalences. Winfried Kern of the University Hospital Freiburg
How much time had passed since the infection (6 to 12 months) hardly influenced the prevalence, Kern summarized the preliminary results and continued: "On the other hand, we could observe that a more severe acute infection and also the female gender were linked to higher prevalences."
The following factors had a somewhat weaker effect on increasing Long COVID prevalence, and in some cases only for certain symptom clusters: Those at higher risk included smokers, people with certain underlying conditions, such as pre-existing mental illness or obesity.
Age had a rather small influence. However, people older than 65 years were deliberately not included in the study. No reliable statement can yet be made about the significance of vaccination after acute infection on the frequency of complaints, Kern said."
WUM
Translated with www.DeepL.com/Translator (free version)
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