A new study released on June 15 by healthcare non-profit FAIR Health shows that nearly 25% of people infected with the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus experience Long COVID health issues. This number is up from the 10% estimated by previous studies.

What They Did

The researchers analyzed private healthcare claim records for 1,959,982 people, ranging in age from infant to elderly, who were diagnosed with COVID-19 in 2020. Of that total:

• 53% were female. 
• 47% were male.
• 23% reported one or more health issues at least 30 days after being diagnosed with COVID-19.
• 50% of those hospitalized with COVID-19 had a post-COVID condition. 
• 27.5% who were symptomatic with COVID but not hospitalized had post-COVID symptoms.
• 19% of patients who were asymptomatic had at least one post-COVID condition.

Patients with severe pre-existing conditions such as cancer and HIV were excluded, as they were likely to experience symptoms that were not COVID-19 related.

What They Found

According to the report, the top post-COVID health complaints across all ages, from most to least common, included: 

• Pain  
• Breathing Difficulty 
• High Cholesterol 
• Fatigue 
• High Blood Pressure 

Anxiety and depression were the first and second most reported mental health conditions across all age groups.

Symptoms also varied by demographics such as age and sex. Gastrointestinal issues were the third most common symptom among children, but the eleventh among patients aged 40 to 49. High cholesterol was the second most common symptom among patients aged 50 to 59, but thirteenth among children.

What it Means

There are still many questions about Long COVID that beg answers, such as:

• Why do some symptoms linger?
• Why do some symptoms appear suddenly?
• Why do women seem more prone to developing Long COVID illnesses?
• What percentage of conditions such as high cholesterol and kidney disease were present but undiagnosed before patients sought care for Long COVID symptoms?

While the current findings do not answer these questions, they do provide insight into the prevalence of Long COVID and who it is likely to affect—and this can help guide future research. 

*Ducharme, J. (2021, June 15). Almost 25% of COVID-19 Patients Develop Long-Lasting Symptoms, According to a New Report. Time. https://time.com/6073522/long-covid-prevalence/

Much about the novel coronavirus, i.e., COVID-19, is still not fully understood. As research progresses and our knowledge of the virus increases, information can change rapidly. We strive to update all of our articles as quickly as possible, but there may occasionally be some lag between scientific developments and our revisions.