Research from the US has illuminated that over 30% of adults with a COVID infection in 2020 went on to develop at least one new condition.
The American study identified that 32 out of every 100 older adults with a COVID infection acquired at least one additional condition that required medical attention in the months following the initial illness. The scope of the conditions was extremely varied, impacting major organs and systems, including the heart, lungs, kidneys, and liver, in addition to an array of mental health problems.
The research is published in The BMJ.
The after-effects of COVID infection
A plethora of investigations have started to arise regarding the long-term effects of COVID-19, such as the frequency and severity of new conditions (sequelae); however, not many have analysed the risk of new conditions triggered by new conditions COVID infection in older adults (aged over 65).
In this novel study, the researchers employed health insurance plan records, isolating 133,366 individuals aged 65 or older in 2020, who before April 2020, were diagnosed with a COVID infection. Subsequently, these people were matched to three non-COVID comparison groups from 2020, 2019, and a group that were diagnosed with a viral lower respiratory tract illness.
The researchers identified and recorded any new or persistent conditions starting 21 days after the individuals were diagnosed with COVID-19 (the post-acute period). They then calculated the excess risk for conditions caused by the disease over several months based on sex, age, race, and whether they were admitted to the hospital.
How older people were affected
Interestingly, the analysis revealed that in people diagnosed with COVID-19 in 2020, 32% required medical attention in the post-acute period due to one or more new or persistent conditions – 11% higher than the 2020 comparison group.
In contrast to the 2020 comparison group, COVID-19 patients were at an elevated risk of several conditions, such as respiratory failure (7.55 per 100 people), fatigue (5.66 per 100 people), high blood pressure (4.43 per 100 people, and mental health conditions (2.5 per 100 people). Moreover, similar results were demonstrated for the 2019 comparison group.
When comparing to the group with viral lower respiratory tract illness, the team found that only respiratory failure (2.39 per 100), dementia (0.71 per 100), and fatigue (0.18 per 100) showed increased risk differences.
People who were admitted to the hospital with a COVID infection also increased the risk for most but not all conditions. Furthermore, the risk of several conditions was also increased for men, black people, and people aged over 75.
Due to this being an observational study, a cause cannot be established. The researchers noted some limitations, such as some diagnoses not truly representing a new condition caused by COVID infection.
They said: “the number of survivors with sequelae after the acute infection will continue to grow. These findings further highlight the wide range of important sequelae after acute infection with the SARS-CoV-2 virus. Understanding the magnitude of risk for the most important clinical sequelae might enhance their diagnosis and the management of individuals with sequelae after acute SARS-CoV-2 infection. Also, our results can help providers and other key stakeholders anticipate the scale of future health complications and improve planning for the use of healthcare resources.”
