Symptoms Compatible With Long-COVID in Healthcare Workers With and Without SARS-CoV-2 Infection – Results of a Prospective Multicenter Cohort

    October 2021 in “ bioRxiv (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory) ”
    Carol Strahm, Marco Seneghini, Sabine Güsewell, Thomas Egger, Onício Leal Neto, Angela Brucher, Eva Lemmenmeier, Dorette Meier Kleeb, Jens Carsten Möller, Philip Rieder, Markus Ruetti, Remus Rutz, H. H. Schmid, Reto Stocker, Danielle Vuichard‐Gysin, Benedikt Wiggli, Ulrike Besold, Stefan P. Kuster, Allison McGeer, Lorenz Risch, Andrée Friedl, Matthias Schlegel, Dagmar Schmid, Pietro Vernazza, Christian R. Kahlert, Philipp Köhler
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    Studysummary This study found that healthcare workers with a positive SARS-CoV-2 nasopharyngeal swab were most likely to report long-COVID symptoms, while seropositive workers without a positive swab had milder symptoms.
    Our plain-language summary. Not medical advice or a treatment recommendation. Consult a qualified healthcare professional before changing treatment. Full disclaimer
    In this study involving 3,334 healthcare workers, those with a positive SARS-CoV-2 nasopharyngeal swab were more likely to report long-COVID symptoms compared to controls, with 73% experiencing symptoms versus 52% of controls. Seropositive individuals without a positive swab were only mildly affected, though they reported higher instances of impaired taste/olfaction and hair loss. Exhaustion and burnout were prevalent even among non-infected workers. Physical activity at baseline was found to be protective against neurocognitive impairment and fatigue. The study highlighted that acute viral symptoms were strong predictors of long-COVID symptoms, and anti-S titers were correlated with high symptom scores.
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