One-Third Have Symptoms Two Months After SARS-CoV-2

TUESDAY, Sept. 21, 2021 (HealthDay News) — One-third of individuals report having at least one symptom two months after having a positive test result for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2), according to research published in the Sept. 17 issue of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.

Kyle Yomogida, from the Long Beach Department of Health and Human Services in California, and colleagues interviewed a random sample of 366 persons aged 18 years and older who received a positive SARS-CoV-2 test result during April 1 to Dec. 10, 2020, to identify trends in postacute sequelae.

The researchers found that two months after their positive test result, one-third of the persons interviewed reported having at least one symptom, with higher odds of sequelae among those aged 40 to 54 years, women, and those with preexisting conditions. Compared with other racial/ethnic groups, Black participants had higher odds of reporting dyspnea and myalgia/arthralgia. Higher numbers of distinct sequelae were also reported by persons who were aged 40 years or older, were female, were Black, or reported known preexisting conditions.

“Identifying disparities in postacute COVID-19 sequelae can help guide the allocation of public health resources and improve health equity while groups recover from the long-term effects of the COVID-19 pandemic,” the authors write.

Abstract/Full Text