A nationwide questionnaire study of post-acute symptoms and health problems after SARS-CoV-2 infection in Denmark
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A considerable number of individuals infected with SARS-CoV-2 continue to experience symptoms after the acute phase. Here, we report findings from a nationwide questionnaire study in Denmark including 61,002 RT-PCR confirmed SARS-CoV-2 cases and 91,878 test-negative controls aged 15-years or older. Six to twelve months after the test, the risks of 18 out of 21 symptoms were elevated among test-positives. The largest adjusted risk differences (RD) were observed for dysosmia (RD = 10.92%, 95% CI 10.68–11.21%), dysgeusia (RD = 8.68%, 95% CI 8.43–8.93%), fatigue/exhaustion (RD = 8.43%, 95%CI 8.14–8.74%), dyspnea (RD = 4.87%, 95% CI 4.65–5.09%) and reduced strength in arms/legs (RD = 4.68%, 95% CI 4.45–4.89%). During the period from the test and until completion of the questionnaire, new diagnoses of anxiety (RD = 1.15%, 95% CI 0.95–1.34%) or depression (RD = 1.00%, 95% CI 0.81–1.19%) were also more common among test-positives. Even in a population where the majority of test-positives were not hospitalized, a considerable proportion experiences symptoms up to 12 months after infection. Being female or middle-aged increases risks.
Original language | English |
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Article number | 4213 |
Journal | Nature Communications |
Volume | 13 |
Issue number | 1 |
Number of pages | 8 |
ISSN | 2041-1723 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - 2022 |
Bibliographical note
Funding Information:
The authors would like to thank all EFTER-COVID participants for completing the questionnaire. We also thank, the members of the EFTER-COVID stakeholder group, consisting of representatives from universities, long-term sequelae clinics and other relevant hospital departments or health institutions, for their comments to the questionnaires and input during meetings. No specific funding was received for this work that was conducted as part of the governmental institution Statens Serum Institut’s advisory tasks for the Danish Ministry of Health.
ID: 315251120