Pre-existing psychological distress increases risk of long-COVID Coronavirus Disease COVID LongCOVID JAMAPsych HarvardChanSPH MassGeneralNews
PASC, also known as long COVID, is defined as the persistence of COVID-19 signs/symptoms beyond four weeks from the initial onset of the disease. Fatigue, dyspnea, brain fog, loss of smell/taste, depression, and digestive issues are common symptoms of long COVID. PASC is associated with an inability to return to work and lower quality of life.
About the study In the present study, researchers assessed whether pre-infection psychological distress, including anxiety, depression, loneliness, worry, and perceived stress, were associated with the risk of developing PASC. Participants from three extensive ongoing longitudinal studies were invited to complete an online questionnaire on COVID-19.
PASC was assessed in the last questionnaire 336 days after baseline. Sociodemographic factors, types of distress at baseline, and COVID-19 severity risk factors were compared between participants who responded to PASC items and those who did not. Relative risks and 95% confidence intervals for PASC were estimated using a generalized estimating equation.
Common symptoms were fatigue , impaired smell/taste , dyspnea , confusion/brain fog/disorientation , and memory complications . All types of psychological distress were significantly associated with an elevated risk of PASC. Participants with multiple types of distress at baseline had an increased risk of developing PASC. Moreover, researchers investigated the relationship of pre-infection distress with symptoms and impairment among participants reporting PASC.