Who Is Most Likely to Get Long COVID? Patient Data May Tell

A large observational study based on patient health records offers one of the most detailed profiles so far of people with long COVID. The results suggest that about 1 in 5 people who had COVID-19 — both those hospitalized and those who were not — still struggle with post-acute symptoms 6 months later.

In the first study of this size and scope, the team also identified characteristics of individuals most likely to experience long COVID. These included:

* Being female

* Being obese, with a BMI of 30 or above

* Being hospitalized for COVID-19

* Having other health conditions, including diabetes, high blood pressure, heart or lung conditions, and autoimmune diseases

Certain post-acute symptoms were also more common in some groups. Women, for example, were more likely than men to experience persistent shortness of breath and anxiety or depression. Obese people were more likely to report persistent muscle pain and fatigue, while people with autoimmune conditions had higher rates of brain fog.

"Our findings have important implications for public health policy and resource allocation. These results suggest long COVID is a common condition that, after adjustment for sociodemographic differences and other characteristics, does not appear to disproportionally affect any specific racial or ethnic group," says Alba.

The research was conducted by the National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities (NIMHD)-led RECOVER study (Researching COVID to Enhance Recovery) in partnership with the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), and the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI).