Long COVID is defined as having ongoing symptoms of COVID for 2 months or longer after a positive test for COVID. A research study in JAMA Network Open on October 27, 2022 by Roy Perlis, MD and colleagues showed risk factors for getting it and evidence for a means of protection against it.
The researchers obtained information from over 16,000 adults in the U.S. Those who reported ongoing COVID symptoms 2months or more after a positive test were assessed for risk factors , mainly based on demographics.
The results showed that long COVID is more common in women (62.6 %) than men (37.4 %). It was also more common in adults over the age of 40 and increased by each decade after that.
People with college education fared better than those with a high school education. Living in an urban area was associated with a lower incidence than those from rural areas.
There was evidence that completion of a primary series of COVID vaccination reduced the risk of getting long COVID.
The bottom line is that long COVID is common, and is more common among women and older adults. Vaccination may reduce the risk.
Peter M. Hartmann, MD
Family Medicine & Psychiatry
