Analysis of Influencing Factors on Long COVID in COVID-19 Patients Infected with Omicron Variant Three Months After Discharge: a Cross-sectional Study

Background: The purpose of this study is to analyze the influencing factors associated with Long-COVID in patients infected with Omicron variant of COVID-19 in Changchun City, Jilin Province, China three months after discharge in March 2022.

Methods: In this study, we conducted a telephone follow-up based on the real-world data collected from the Affiliated Hospital to Changchun University of Chinese Medicine, Changchun Tongyuan Shelter Hospital and Changchun Infectious Disease Hospital during the COVID-19 epidemic in Changchun in March 2022. We used the Global COVID-19 Clinical Platform Case Report Form for Post COVID condition as a follow-up questionnaire to collect the general information, past medical history, clinical symptoms, COVID-19 vaccine inoculation doses, and other relevant information to analyze the symptom characteristics of COVID-19 patients three months after discharge from the hospital and related factors affecting Long COVID.

Results: A total of 1,806 patients with COVID-19 were included in this study, 977 males and 829 females, with a mean age of 38.5 [30.0, 49.4] years, and the number of female patients suffering from Long COVID (50.87%) was greater than male patients (p = 0.023). The binary logistic regression analysis of factors influencing Long COVID showed that smoking history (OR (95%CI) = 0.551(0.425-0.714), p < 0.001, taking never smoking as a reference), allergy history (OR (95%CI) = 1.618 (1.086-2.413), p-value 0.018, taking no allergy as a reference), first symptoms (OR (95%CI) = 0.636 (0.501-0.807), p < 0.001, with no first symptoms as reference) and COVID-19 vaccine inoculation doses (OR (95%CI) = 1.517 (1.190-1.933), p-value 0.001, with ≤ 2 doses of COVID-19 vaccine inoculation doses as reference) constituted its influencing factors. The first symptoms of patients on admission mainly included fever (512 cases, 71.81%), cough (279 cases, 39.13%) and dry or itchy throat (211 cases, 29.59%). The most common symptoms of Long COVID were persistent fatigue (68 cases), amnesia (61 cases), insomnia (50 cases) and excessive sweating (50 cases).

Conclusion: The first symptoms on admission were predominantly fever, cough and dry or itchy throat. The most common symptoms of Long COVID were persistent fatigue, amnesia, insomnia and excessive sweating, and female patients were at a higher risk of Long COVID.