Cardiff Metropolitan University
Browse
- No file added yet -

Characterising patterns of COVID-19 and long COVID symptoms: evidence from nine UK longitudinal studies

Download (778.97 kB)
journal contribution
posted on 2023-02-02, 19:31 authored by Ruth C. E. Bowyer, Charlotte F. Huggins, Renin Toms, Richard J. Shaw, Bo Hou, Ellen J. Thompson

 Multiple studies across global populations have established the primary symptoms characterising Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) and long COVID. However, as symptoms may also occur in the absence of COVID-19, a lack of appropriate controls has often meant that specificity of symptoms to acute COVID-19 or long COVID, and the extent and length of time for which they are elevated after COVID-19, could not be examined. We analysed individual symptom prevalences and characterised patterns of COVID-19 and long COVID symptoms across nine UK longitudinal studies, totalling over 42,000 participants. Conducting latent class analyses separately in three groups (‘no COVID-19’, ‘COVID-19 in last 12 weeks’, ‘COVID-19 > 12 weeks ago’), the data did not support the presence of more than two distinct symptom patterns, representing high and low symptom burden, in each group. Comparing the high symptom burden classes between the ‘COVID-19 in last 12 weeks’ and ‘no COVID-19’ groups we identified symptoms characteristic of acute COVID-19, including loss of taste and smell, fatigue, cough, shortness of breath and muscle pains or aches. Comparing the high symptom burden classes between the ‘COVID-19 > 12 weeks ago’ and ‘no COVID-19’ groups we identified symptoms characteristic of long COVID, including fatigue, shortness of breath, muscle pain or aches, difficulty concentrating and chest tightness. The identified symptom patterns among individuals with COVID-19 > 12 weeks ago were strongly associated with self-reported length of time unable to function as normal due to COVID-19 symptoms, suggesting that the symptom pattern identified corresponds to long COVID. Building the evidence base regarding typical long COVID symptoms will improve diagnosis of this condition and the ability to elicit underlying biological mechanisms, leading to better patient access to treatment and services. 

History

Published in

European Journal of Epidemiology

Publisher

Springer

Version

  • VoR (Version of Record)

Citation

Bowyer, R. C., Huggins, C., Toms, R., Shaw, R. J., Hou, B., Thompson, E. J., ... & CONVALESCENCE Study. (2023). Characterising patterns of COVID-19 and long COVID symptoms: Evidence from nine UK longitudinal studies. European Journal of Epidemiology, 1-12.

Print ISSN

0393-2990

Electronic ISSN

1573-7284

Cardiff Met Affiliation

  • Cardiff School of Sport and Health Sciences

Cardiff Met Authors

Renin Toms

Cardiff Met Research Centre/Group

  • Public Health and Wellbeing

Copyright Holder

  • © The Authors

Language

  • en

Usage metrics

    Population Risk & Healthcare - Journal Articles

    Licence

    Exports

    RefWorks
    BibTeX
    Ref. manager
    Endnote
    DataCite
    NLM
    DC