"Abstract
Design, Setting, and Participants: In this cohort study, Danish residents aged 15 years and older were invited to participate in the EFTER-COVID survey, which used repeated, self-reported online questionnaires that collected information on fatigue (Fatigue Assessment Scale) and postexertional malaise [PEM] scores (DePaul Symptom Questionnaire) after individuals’ index SARS-CoV-2 polymerase chain reaction test...
Results: Of a total of 50 115 participants ... 25 249 were test positive and 24 866 were test negative. Most participants were vaccinated with at least 2 doses (21 164 test-negative participants [85.1%] and 22 120 test-positive participants [87.6%]) before their SARS-CoV-2 index test and fatigue reporting. In the period 2 to 18 months after testing, SARS-CoV-2 infection was associated with a small but significant 3% increase in self-reported fatigue scores ... and higher odds of self-reported postexertional malaise (odds ratio, 2.04; 95% CI, 1.81-2.30), compared with test-negative participants. In the same period, hospitalization with SARS-CoV-2 increased fatigue scores by 23% (SR, 1.23; 95% CI, 1.20-1.26) compared with test-negative participants...
Results
Study Population
... For test-positive participants, the prevalence of severe fatigue (1102 participants [7.6%]), substantial fatigue (5554 participants [38.5%]), and PEM (4174 participants [28.9%]) was highest at the 2-month follow-up point and generally decreased over time. At the 18-month follow-up, the prevalence of severe fatigue was 5.9% (474 participants), that of substantial fatigue was 33.1% (2659 participants), and that of PEM was 25.1% (2014 participants)."
© 2024 O’Regan E et al. JAMA Network Open.
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