Overlapping Conditions in Long COVID at a Multisite Academic Center

Overview

Journal Front Neurol

Specialty Neurology

Date 2024 Nov 11

PMID 39524912

Authors

Stephanie L Grach

Daniel V Dudenkov

Beth Pollack

DeLisa Fairweather

Chris A Aakre

Bala Munipalli

Ivana T Croghan

Michael R Mueller

Joshua D Overgaard

Katelyn A Bruno

Nerissa M Collins

Zhuo Li

Ryan T Hurt

Michal C Tal

Ravindra Ganesh

Dacre T R Knight

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Background: Many patients experience persistent symptoms after COVID-19, a syndrome referred to as Long COVID (LC). The goal of this study was to identify novel new or worsening comorbidities self-reported in patients with LC.

Methods: Patients diagnosed with LC ( = 732) at the Mayo Long COVID Care Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota and Jacksonville, Florida were sent questionnaires to assess the development of new or worsening comorbidities following COVID-19 compared to patients with SARS-CoV-2 that did not develop LC (controls). Both groups were also asked questions screening for myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS), generalized joint hypermobility (GJH) and orthostatic intolerance. 247 people with LC (33.7%) and 40 controls (50%) responded to the surveys.

Results: In this study LC patients averaged 53 years of age and were predominantly White (95%) women (75%). The greatest prevalence of new or worsening comorbidities following SARS-CoV-2 infection in patients with LC vs. controls reported in this study were pain (94.4% vs. 0%, < 0.001), neurological (92.4% vs. 15.4%, < 0.001), sleep (82.8% vs. 5.3%, < 0.001), skin (69.8% vs. 0%, < 0.001), and genitourinary (60.6% vs. 25.0%, = 0.029) issues. 58% of LC patients screened positive for ME/CFS vs. 0% of controls ( < 0.001), 27% positive for GJH compared to 10% of controls ( = 0.026), and a positive average score of 4.0 on orthostatic intolerance vs. 0 ( < 0.001). The majority of LC patients with ME/CFS were women (77%).

Conclusion: We found that comorbidities across 12 surveyed categories were increased in patients following SARS-CoV-2 infection. Our data also support the overlap of LC with ME/CFS, GJH, and orthostatic intolerance. We discuss the pathophysiologic, research, and clinical implications of identifying these conditions with LC.

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