Exploring the landscape of long COVID: prevalence and associated factors in patients assisted by a telehealth service

Abstract

Introduction: Long COVID is a condition that occurs in patients with a previous history of COVID-19, and symptoms that cannot be explained by another diagnosis persist. Objective: To evaluate the prevalence of long COVID and associated factors in patients treated with a public telehealth service during acute COVID-19. Method: This was a cross-sectional study involving users of a COVID-19 telehealth service offered during the critical phase of the pandemic, called TeleCOVID-MG. Individuals older than 18 years of age who tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 and were monitored during social isolation were eligible. Prevalence was calculated, and descriptive analysis and group comparisons (patients with and without long COVID symptoms) were performed in addition to logistic regression with odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals. Results: Among the 699 patients included in the study, 60.8% were women aged between 30 and 49 years (44.6%) and had a high school education (46.5%). The main comorbidities were hypertension (20.9%), diabetes (8.3%), and heart disease (3.9%). The incidence of long COVID was 26.8% (95% CI: 23.5; 30.1). Cognitive symptoms (49.7%), chronic diarrhea (49.2%), and cough (40.6%) were the most persistent symptoms. Female sex (OR: 2.51), secondary education (OR: 2.13), elementary education (OR: 2.81), monthly income between 600 and 1,000 USD (OR: 5.85), supplementary health assistance (OR: 1.98), anosmia during acute COVID-19 (OR: 4.52) and need for in-person care (OR: 2.44) were factors associated with a higher incidence of long COVID. Conclusion: Long COVID affected almost one-third of the study population. Although the COVID-19 pandemic is under control, the virus continues to infect individuals, raising doubts about the long-term complications of the disease.