The following is a summary of “Point Prevalence Estimates of Activity-Limiting Long-term Symptoms Among United States Adults ≥1 Month After Reported Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 Infection, 1 November 2021,” published in the April 2023 issue of Infectious Diseases by Tenforde et al.
For a study, researchers sought to estimate the number of US adults who experienced ongoing symptoms or post-COVID conditions (PCC) after being infected with SARS-CoV-2.
They used population-based, household survey data on new activity-limiting symptoms emerging ≥1 month after SARS-CoV-2 infection to predict the prevalence of PCC. The reported infections occurred between 1 February 2020 and 30 September 2021. They calculated 95% CIs for the number and proportion of US individuals with activity-limiting PCC on 1 November 2021, stratified by sex and age, based on these data sources. In addition, sensitivity analyses were modified to account for infections that weren’t fully characterized and ambiguity surrounding the length of symptoms.
The results suggested that at least 3.0 to 5.0 million US adults, or 1.2% to 1.9% of the US adult population, had activity-limiting PCC that persisted for ≥1 month as of November 1, 2021. In addition, the estimated prevalence was higher in females (1.4% to 2.2%) than in males. After adjusting for the ascertainment of infections, the estimated prevalence was 1.7% to 3.8%.
The findings highlighted the significant impact of PCC on the US population and can inform future efforts to address and manage the ongoing symptoms experienced by those affected.
Reference: academic.oup.com/jid/article/227/7/855/6625825
