As COVID-19 drags on, and the U.S. slowly tries to return to a sense of normalcy, experts are still sounding the alarm about the long-term effects of the virus. Here, Detroit’s WDIV Local 4 news reports on a University of Michigan study that found some people in the state are more at risk for Long COVID than others.*

Certain groups at higher risk

The Michigan COVID-19 Recovery Surveillance Study is a collaborative effort between the University of Michigan’s School of Public Health and Michigan’s Department of Health and Human Services. According to recent findings, multiple risk factors can raise Michiganders’ risk for Long COVID.

• Female sex
• Latino ethnicity
• Over 75 years of age
• Lack of a high school education
• Earning less than $50,000 annually
• Having a body mass index over 30 (obesity)

The study also found that 27% of Long COVID patients already had underlying conditions prior to their COVID-19 infections. These included:

• Conditions suppressing the immune system,
• Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD),
• Emphysema,
• Cancer, and
• Heart disease.

Long recovery times

The population-based study surveyed 2,700 Michigan adults with COVID-19 who were recruited before April 15, 2021. The researchers found 21.4%, or roughly 578 people, with Long COVID, defined as symptoms persisting for at least 90 days after initial infection. Among these 2,700 individuals:

• 37.8% had not recovered within 30 days,
• 26.5% had not recovered within 60 days, and
• 21.4% had not recovered within 90 days.

Felix Valbuena, M.D., FAAFP is Chief Executive Officer of Detroit’s Community Health and Social Services Center (CHASS), which cares for the city’s underserved Latino community. He says they are “still learning a lot about Long COVID” and he sees cases rising even months after infection. 

Long COVID is also complicating healthcare for many who already have chronic conditions and experience difficulty getting treatment. The study found that many people with post-COVID symptoms still don’t have access to healthcare.

‘Long way to go’ in understanding

Valbuena admits providers have a “long way to go” in their knowledge of Long COVID. They do know that having concurrent conditions leads to worse outcomes from the infection.

At the same time, the study authors are optimistic that their longer research period will give more weight to their observations, and that this increased understanding of the burden of Long COVID will have a significant impact.

“Clinics and hospitals and physicians and the public health system need to be aware that this is an ongoing part of the pandemic,” said study co-author Nancy Fleischer, Ph.D., M.P.H.

Speaking up important

WDIV’s Grant Hermes says doctors want to know about your symptoms if you believe you have Long COVID, even if your initial infection was mild or asymptomatic. They especially want to know if you have underlying conditions that could further complicate and potentially worsen your condition down the road.

*Click On Detroit | Local 4 | WDIV. (2022, July 4). Here’s how Long-COVID is impacting some groups in Michigan [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RDjl_BLarpQ