Long-COVID is associated with increased absenteeism from work

Abstract

Long-COVID, defined as COVID-19 symptoms persisting for more than 3 months, may lead to persistent health issues requiring extensive medical care. Despite its long-term health impact, the economic impact of long-COVID remains understudied. This study examined whether individuals with long-COVID had more missed workdays compared to those without long-COVID. Adults (≥18 years old) with full-time jobs were identified from the 2022 Full-Year Population Characteristics file of the Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS). A weighted two-part model was used to identify factors associated with missed workdays due to illness. The total population analyzed included 131,685,516 adults (unweighted n = 8,210), with an average (SD) age of 43 (14) years. Among them, 46% were female and 62% were non-Hispanic White. Approximately 7% of the population experienced long-COVID. Individuals with long-COVID reported an average of 8 days missed from work (SD: 12 days), while those without long-COVID reported an average of 4 days missed (SD: 9 days). The two-part model revealed that individuals with long-COVID had 2.54 more missed workdays compared to those without long-COVID (p < 0.01), after controlling for relevant variables. These results underscore significant productivity losses associated with long-COVID, highlighting the need for policymakers and employers to implement effective strategies to address this condition.