The frequency of long COVID substantially differs based on severity of the acute infection, according to a study published in the Journal
of Internal Medicine. Pontus Hedberg, MD, PhD, and colleagues used data from 204,805 adults with a verified SARS-CoV-2 infection. Frequency of a post-COVID-19 condition (PCC) diagnosis 90-360 days after a positive test was assessed. The proportion receiving a PCC diagnosis was 1% among individuals not hospitalized for COVID-19, 6% among hospitalized individuals, and 32% among
ICU-treated individuals. New-onset symptom diagnosis codes most frequently included fatigue (29%) among non-hospitalized individuals and dyspnea among both hospitalized (25%) and ICU-treated (41%) individuals. Among both non-hospitalized and hospitalize individuals, female sex was associated with a PCC diagnosis, as were previous mental health disorders and asthma. Among individuals with a PCC diagnosis, up to 1 year after acute infection, the monthly proportion of individuals with outpatient care was substantially elevated versus before infection and was largely attributed to PCC-related care.
