Post-COVID Condition Risk Factors and Symptom Clusters and Associations with Return to Pre-COVID Health—Results from a 2021 Multi-State Survey

Abstract

Background Little is known about how symptoms or symptom clusters of Post-COVID Conditions (PCC) impact an individual’s return to pre-COVID health. Methods We used four state-level COVID-19 case reporting systems and patient-reported survey data to identify patients with PCC and associations with an individual’s return to pre-COVID health after laboratory-confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection. Participants had a positive SARS-CoV-2 test between March–December 2020. Weighted regression models were used to 1) estimate prevalence of PCC; 2) identify risk factors associated with developing PCC; and 3) examine associations between PCC symptom clusters and return to pre-COVID health. Factor analysis was used to statistically identify post-COVID symptom clusters. Findings Prevalence of PCC in this population-based sample was 29·9% for persons with SARS-CoV-2 infection, during the pre-delta variant period (March–December 2020); 77·2% of persons experiencing PCC had not returned to pre-COVID health within 8–60 weeks after infection. Female sex, acute COVID-19 illness severity, and number of pre-existing comorbidities were significant risk factors associated with PCC. Myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome-like symptoms, upper-respiratory symptoms, and gastrointestinal symptoms were significantly associated with not returning to pre-COVID health. Interpretation Understanding PCC symptom clustering may provide insight into pathophysiology, severity of PCC, and management for patients who have not returned to their usual state of health after SARS-CoV-2 infection. Tracking PCC can help measure the impact of COVID-19 vaccination and acute COVID-19-specific treatments on reducing PCC in the US.