Assessment of Symptom, Disability, and Financial Trajectories in Patients Hospitalized for COVID-19 at 6 Months

Long COVID and New Onset Disability Nearly 2 Years After Initial Infection

INTRODUCTION

The objective of this study was to determine the prevalence of ongoing long COVID symptoms and related disability in a population-based cohort nearly 2 years after SARS-CoV-2 infection.

METHODS

Six domains of age-standardized disability (i.e., mobility, cognition, independent living, vision, hearing, self-care) were assessed by ongoing long COVID status using cohort data from a population-based survey of adults with COVID-19 onset from March-December 2020 in Michigan. Baseline data were collected June 2020-October 2021 and follow-up data were collected January-November 2022. Associations between ongoing long COVID and each domain of disability were also examined using adjusted modified Poisson regression models. Analyses were conducted 2024-2025.

RESULTS

Nearly 2 years after initial infection, 24.0% of 1,547 respondents reported ongoing long COVID symptoms. When comparing disability status 4 weeks prior to COVID-19 illness to the time of the follow-up survey, respondents with ongoing long COVID symptoms had large increases in the prevalence of cognition (8.8% to 45.3%), mobility (12.7% to 40.0%), independent living (4.7% to 20.7%), and self-care (2.1% to 10.9%) disability, and more modest increases in the prevalence of vision and hearing disability. Respondents without ongoing long COVID symptoms experienced smaller increases in disability prevalence. In regression models, ongoing long COVID was associated with higher prevalence of all 6 disability domains.

CONCLUSIONS

The ongoing burden of long COVID and related disability is substantial and warrants increased attention by the public health and medical communities.

Clinician and Patient Responses to US Health Insurers' Policies: A Qualitative Study of Higher Risk Patients

OBJECTIVE

To identify specific ways in which US health insurance triggered changes in care and interrupted the encounter between clinicians and patients in post-intensive care unit (ICU) clinics.

STUDY SETTING AND DESIGN

This naturalistic qualitative study was nested within a randomized controlled trial that evaluated the feasibility and preliminary efficacy of a telemedicine ICU recovery clinic intervention. Adult participants were referred to a multidisciplinary ICU recovery clinic after septic shock or acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) in a Southeastern US academic medical center.

DATA SOURCES AND ANALYTIC SAMPLE

Data were collected from 2019 to 2021. Telemedicine ICU recovery visits within the intervention group were used in this analysis. ICU recovery visits at 3- and 12-week intervals after hospital discharge were recorded and analyzed based upon the constant comparative method. Responses were initially open coded and then consolidated with the Donabedian Model of assessing healthcare quality by two investigators to organize themes and subthemes, with discrepancies in coding resolved by consensus.

PRINCIPAL FINDINGS

Thirty-three clinic visit transcripts from 19 patients revealed health insurance-related issues commonly elicited by clinicians. One in three patients raised health insurance-related issues during their clinical encounter. Structural barriers to ICU recovery included high out-of-pocket spending, the complexity of interfacing with health insurance companies, and health insurance literacy. Patients initiated modifications to intended care to overcome insurance-related barriers to recovery, including nonadherence to prescribed medications and treatments and crafting unsafe "workarounds" to recommended healthcare, with consequences to their recovery.

CONCLUSIONS

We found that health insurance complexity and high out-of-pocket costs compromise the quality of care and recovery experienced by ICU survivors. These findings emphasize the need for solutions at the policy, payor, and healthcare system levels to mitigate barriers to ICU recovery created by health insurance, which can adversely influence affordable, timely, and appropriate critical illness survivor care.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

NCT03926533.

Tracking Survivors With Long COVID: Method, Implementation, and Results of an Observational Study

While the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has declined, many survivors continue to suffer debilitating symptoms, such as fatigue, pain, and foggy thoughts. Sustained COVID-19 symptoms, or Long COVID, challenge health care resources and economic recovery. This article describes the methodology, implementation, and results of an observational study investigating how time since diagnosis may affect lingering symptoms among the adult COVID-19 population. The descriptive distribution and overall symptoms experience by individuals' characteristics were examined. Random samples from two patient cohorts (n = 147 in 2020-2021 and n = 137 in 2021-2022) were recruited from a COVID-19 patient registry in mid-Michigan. Samples were drawn from a pool of patients ≥ 3 months following their COVID-19 diagnosis. Overall symptoms experience (number, severity, interference) was self-reported using a comprehensive symptom inventory. The findings showed that 66% of the 2020-2021 cohort and 47% of the 2021-2022 cohort reported ≥ 1 lingering symptom with an average of 11.2 (±3.0) and 8.9 (±3.3) months, respectively, after COVID-19 diagnosis. Females reported significantly more symptoms (p = 0.018), higher symptom severity (p = 0.008) and interference (p = 0.007) compared to males. Compared to patients admitted to emergency departments, outpatients reported significantly lower symptom severity (p = 0.020) and less symptom interference (p = 0.018). Our analyses showed that a moderate proportion (43%) of adults remained symptomatic nearly a year after COVID-19 infection and time since diagnosis did not affect symptom experience in either cohort. Female sex and admission setting are important factors to consider for managing and studying Long COVID.

Factors associated with changes in employment in individuals with Long Covid

BackgroundLong Covid symptoms are known to have an impact on function, however, their effect on employment and the associated demographic and clinical factors are not well understood.ObjectiveOur objectives were (1) To compare changes in employment status between those with Long Covid and those who recovered from their Covid-19 infection; and (2) To identify demographic factors, clinical factors, and occupational skill level associated with decreased employment status in those with Long Covid.MethodsWe conducted an electronic survey (≥12 weeks post infection) with adult residents in Laval, Quebec, Canada who tested positive for Covid-19 between March 2020 and January 2022, regarding Long Covid symptoms and their functional impact. This analysis focuses on employment status: pre-covid, prior to infection, and current, and was recorded as full-time, part-time, or not working due to illness or for other reasons. Change in employment status was categorized as no decrease or decreased.ResultsAmong 2764 respondents, 15.6% (95% CI: 13.3-17.9) with Long Covid (versus 5.4% (95% CI: 4.2-6.5) who recovered) experienced a decrease in employment (p < 0.001). Clinical factors associated with a decrease in employment include having been hospitalized for Covid-19, having ≥1 comorbid condition prior to infection, >12 months since infection, moderate to severe decline in physical and psychological health, and decline in global health. Demographic factors and occupational skill level were not associated with a change in employment.ConclusionsPersons with Long Covid are more likely to experience a decrease in employment. Research is needed to determine whether rehabilitation for people with Long Covid could improve employment levels.

An Allele of the MTHFR one-carbon metabolism gene predicts severity of COVID-19

While the public health burden of SARS-CoV-2 infection has lessened due to natural and vaccine-acquired immunity, the emergence of less virulent variants, and antiviral medications, COVID-19 continues to take a significant toll. There are > 10,000 new hospitalizations per week in the U.S., many of whom develop post-acute sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 (PASC), or "long COVID", with long-term health issues and compromised quality of life. Early identification of individuals at high risk of severe COVID-19 is key for monitoring and supporting respiratory status and improving outcomes. Therefore, precision tools for early detection of patients at high risk of severe disease can reduce morbidity and mortality. Here we report an untargeted and longitudinal metabolomic study of plasma derived from adult patients with COVID-19. One-carbon metabolism, a pathway previously shown as critical for viral propagation and disease progression, and a potential target for COVID-19 treatment, scored strongly as differentially abundant in patients with severe COVID-19. A follow-up targeted metabolite profiling revealed that one arm of the one-carbon metabolism pathway, the methionine cycle, is a major driver of the metabolic profile associated with disease severity. The methionine cycle produces S-adenosylmethionine (SAM), the methyl group donor important for methylation of DNA, RNA, and proteins, and its high abundance was reported to correlate with disease severity. Further, genomic data from the profiled patients revealed a genetic contributor to methionine metabolism and identified the C677T allele of the MTHFR gene as a pre-existing predictor of disease trajectory - patients homozygous for the MTHFR C677T have higher incidence of experiencing severe disease. Our results raise the possibility that screening for the common genetic MTHFR variant may be an actionable approach to stratify risk of COVID severity and may inform novel precision COVID-19 treatment strategies.

Veterans at High Risk for Post-COVID-19 Suicide Attempts or Other Self-Directed Violence

Importance

US veterans have a higher risk of suicide than the general civilian population. Research suggests that COVID-19 infection is associated with increased risk of suicide attempts or other forms of self-directed violence (SDV) among veterans.

Objective

To identify subgroups of veterans with high risk of post-COVID-19 suicide attempts or SDV.

Design, Setting, and Participants

This is a retrospective cohort study conducted using data from the Veteran Health Administration (VHA). Participants included VHA enrollees with a first case of COVID-19 between May 1, 2021, and April 30, 2022, residing in the 50 states or Washington, DC.

Exposure

COVID-19 infection.

Main Outcomes and Measures

The main outcome was a suicide attempt or SDV 12 months after COVID-19 infection. Latent class analysis was used to identify subgroups. Outcome rates and 95% CIs per 10 000 veterans were calculated. Multinomial regressions were used to model outcome risk and marginal risk ratios with 99.5% CIs to compare outcome risk across latent classes.

Results

The cohort included 285 235 veterans with COVID-19 and was predominantly male (248 118 veterans [87.0%]) and younger than 65 years (171 636 veterans [60.2%]). Chronic pain (152 788 veterans [53.6%]), depression (98 093 veterans [34.4%]), and posttraumatic stress disorder (79 462 veterans [27.9%]) diagnoses were common. The 12-month outcome rate was 73.8 events per 10 000 (95% CI, 70.7-77.0 events per 10 000). Two latent classes with high rates of suicide attempt or SDV were identified. The first high-risk subgroup (46 693 veterans [16.4%]) was older (34 472 veterans [73.8%] aged ≥65 years) and had a high prevalence of physical conditions (43 329 veterans [92.8%] had hypertension, and 36 824 veterans [78.9%] had chronic pain); the 12-month outcome rate was 103.7 events per 10 000 (95% CI, 94.7-113.3 events per 10 000). The second high-risk subgroup (82 309 veterans [28.9%]) was generally younger (68 822 veterans [83.6%] aged <65 years) with a lower prevalence of physical conditions but high prevalence of mental health conditions (61 367 veterans [74.6%] had depression, and 50 073 veterans [60.8%] had posttraumatic stress disorder); the 12-month outcome rate was 162.9 events per 10 000 (95% CI, 154.5-171.8 events per 10 000), and compared with the lowest risk subgroup, the 12-month risk of suicide attempts or SDV was 14 times higher in this subgroup (risk ratio, 14.23; 99.5% CI, 10.22-19.80).

Conclusions and Relevance

In this cohort study of veterans with COVID-19, 2 veteran subgroups with distinct health profiles had high rates of suicide attempts and SDV, suggesting that different groups may require different approaches to suicide prevention after COVID-19.

COVID-19 and Mental Distress and Well-Being Among Older People: A Gender Analysis in the First and Last Year of the Pandemic and in the Post-Pandemic Period

The Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic seriously threatened the health and well-being of the population. This study aims to investigate the relevance of the COVID-19 pandemic on the stress, mental distress, and well-being of older people in Spain. The design was quantitative repeated cross-sectional. The sample was non-probability and consisted of 1436 persons from the general population divided into two groups: (1) the study group, composed of 718 women (61.3%) and men aged 60 to 89; (2) the comparison group, composed of the same number of women and men aged 30 to 45. All were assessed in three phases of the COVID-19 pandemic: the first pandemic year, the last pandemic year, and the post-pandemic period. The results showed that during the first year of the pandemic, the prevalence of mental distress was higher in older women (50%) than in older men (37.2%), while the rates in the comparison group were 57.2% for women and 53.2% for men. In the post-pandemic period, the rates of mental distress were 30.2% for older women and 29.8% for older men while in the comparison group, the rates were 48.5% for women and 26.5% for men. No significant differences in well-being were found between the groups or between the different phases of the pandemic. The most common stressors reported by older people were illness and death of family and/or loved ones, followed by personal illness. In the post-pandemic period, more stressful events and lower stress resilience were found to predict mental distress in older women and men. Greater perceived vulnerability to infection was another important predictor for women. Low self-esteem and younger age were also predictors of mental distress for men. High self-esteem, high social support, greater stress resilience and fewer stressful events were predictors of well-being for both genders. The results of this study are relevant for the design of policies, programs, and strategies to improve the health and well-being of older people.

The Financial Impact of Post Intensive Care Syndrome

This review explores the financial consequences that survivors of critical illness often face following hospitalization in an intensive care unit (ICU). As part of the "post-intensive care syndrome" (PICS), these survivors often experience, in addition to physical and emotional challenges of PICS, major financial burdens resulting from their prolonged ICU treatments. The escalating costs of ICU care, coupled with the potential long-term effects on survivors' ability to work and maintain financial stability, have brought financial toxicity to the forefront of health care discussions. The current review examines the causes and consequences of financial toxicity.

Cognition, function, and mood post-COVID-19: Comparative analysis using the health and retirement study

Millions of Americans endure post-COVID conditions (PCC), yet research often lacks pre-illness measurements, relying primarily on follow-up assessments for analysis. The study aims to examine the prevalence of PCC, including cognitive impairment, functional limitation, and depressive symptoms, along with relevant risk factors, while controlling for individuals' pre-illness status measured in 2018. A cross-sectional retrospective study utilized the 2018 and 2020 Health and Retirement Study surveys. Sample included individuals with COVID-19 (n = 409; average age 64) and individuals without COVID-19 (n = 8689; average age 59). COVID-19 positive: Individuals with positive tests, physician diagnoses, emergency room visits, or hospitalizations for COVID-19 between 2019-2020. Cognition was assessed using immediate and delayed word-recall tests, serial seven subtractions, and backward counting. Functional status was measured using limitations in activities of daily living (ADLs) and instrumental ADLs. Depressive symptoms were measured using the modified Center for Epidemiology Studies Depression scale. Participants' perception of experiencing PCC was collected. Logistic regression and propensity score matching were employed for these analyses. Among 409 COVID-19-positive respondents (14% hospitalized), 24% exhibited new impairments after COVID-19 infection. Noteworthy increases in functional limitation (OR [95% CI]: 2.18 [0.95, 0.97], p < 0.001) and a marginal rise in cognitive impairment (1.79 [0.99, 3.32], p = 0.053) following COVID-19 infection were observed in comparison to their pre-COVID-19 baseline. Compared to 8689 non-COVID-19 cases, the 409 COVID-19 positives showed increased functional decline (1.78 [1.26, 2.51], p = 0.001) and depressive symptoms (1.41 [1.04, 1.91], p = 0.03). Factors associated with PCC included pre-existing impairments, lower education, female gender, prior hospitalization, higher comorbidity, lower wealth, and mild COVID-19. A notable number of respondents, especially older individuals with fewer pre-existing health conditions, experienced PCC without awareness. Compared to an individual's pre-illness baseline and uninfected individuals, being positive for COVID-19 raised the risk of functional limitation, depressive symptoms, and cognitive impairment. Additionally, addressing PCC through both subjective and objective approaches is essential to alleviate individual and societal burdens.

Characterization of Change in Cognition Before and After COVID-19 Infection in Essential Workers at Midlife

Background

Research into COVID-19-related cognitive decline has focused on individuals who are cognitively impaired following hospitalization for COVID-19. Our objective was to determine whether cognitive decline emerged after the onset of COVID-19 and was more pronounced in patients with postacute sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 infection (PASC).

Methods

We analyzed longitudinal cognitive data collected during a cohort study of essential workers at midlife that continued through the COVID-19 pandemic. We used longitudinal discontinuity models, a form of causal modeling, to examine the change in cognitive performance among 276 participants with COVID-19 in comparison to contemporaneously-collected information from 217 participants who did not have COVID-19. Cognitive performance across four domains was measured before and after the pandemic. Eligible study participants were those with validated COVID-19 diagnoses who were observed before having a verified COVID-19 infection who survived their initial infection, and for whom post-COVID-19 information was also available.

Results

The mean age of the COVID-19 group was 56.0 ± 6.6 years old, while the control group was 58.1 ± 7.3 years old. Longitudinal models indicated a significant decline in cognitive throughput (β = -0.168, P = .001) following COVID-19, after adjustment for pre-COVID-19 functioning, demographics, and medical factors. Associations were larger in those with more severe COVID-19 and those who reported PASC. Observed changes in throughput were equivalent to 10.6 years of normal aging.

Conclusion

Findings from this longitudinal causal modeling study revealed that COVID-19 and PASC appeared to cause clincially relevant cognitive deterioration.

A Journey Through Grief: Experiences of Loss Among Patients With Long COVID

Long COVID is a growing health concern with data continuing to emerge about the psychosocial consequences of this new chronic condition. We aimed to improve understanding of the experiences of patients with Long COVID, focusing on emotional impacts arising from experiences of loss and grief caused by persistent physical symptoms and changes in lifestyle and social support. Patients (n = 21) were recruited August to September 2022 from a post-COVID recovery clinic to participate in semistructured interviews. We found that Long COVID patients (1) reported experiencing loss across multiple domains including loss of physical health, mental health, social support and connections, roles in their families, and self-identities, and (2) described experiences of grief that mirrored the 5 stages of grief in the Kubler-Ross model: denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and for some, acceptance. Our findings highlight the importance of evaluating the experiences of loss and grief among Long COVID patients as well as support systems for this patient population. Providers may be encouraged to incorporate mental health and bereavement support resources to address critical needs of Long COVID patients.

Financial hardship after COVID-19 infection among US Veterans: a national prospective cohort study

BACKGROUND

Research suggests an association between COVID-19 infection and certain financial hardships in the shorter term and among single-state and privately insured samples. Whether COVID-19 is associated with financial hardship in the longer-term or among socially vulnerable populations is unknown. Therefore, we examined whether COVID-19 was associated with a range of financial hardships 18 months after initial infection among a national cohort of Veterans enrolled in the Veterans Health Administration (VHA)-the largest national integrated health system in the US. We additionally explored the association between Veteran characteristics and financial hardship during the pandemic, irrespective of COVID-19.

METHODS

We conducted a prospective, telephone-based survey. Out of 600 Veterans with COVID-19 from October 2020 through April 2021 who were invited to participate, 194 Veterans with COVID-19 and 194 matched comparators without a history of infection participated. Financial hardship outcomes included overall health-related financial strain, two behavioral financial hardships (e.g., taking less medication than prescribed due to cost), and seven material financial hardships (e.g., using up most or all savings). Weighted generalized estimating equations were used to estimate risk ratios (RR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) of financial hardship by COVID-19 status, and to assess the relationship between infection and Veteran age, VHA copay status, and comorbidity score, irrespective of COVID-19 status.

RESULTS

Among 388 respondents, 67% reported at least one type of financial hardship since March 2020, with 21% reporting behavioral hardships and 64% material hardships; 8% reported severe-to-extreme health-related financial strain. Compared with uninfected matched comparators, Veterans with a history of COVID-19 had greater risks of severe-to-extreme health-related financial strain (RR: 4.0, CI: 1.4-11.2), taking less medication due to cost (RR: 2.9, 95% CI: 1.0-8.6), and having a loved one take time off work to care for them (RR: 1.9, CI: 1.1-3.6). Irrespective of COVID-19 status, Veterans aged < 65 years had a greater risk of most financial hardships compared with Veterans aged ≥ 65 years.

CONCLUSIONS

Health-related financial hardships such as taking less medication due to cost and severe-to-extreme health-related financial strain were more common among Veterans with a history of COVID-19 than among matched comparators. Strategies are needed to address health-related financial hardship after COVID-19.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

NCT05394025, registered 05-27-2022.

Comparative analysis of financial toxicity between SARS-CoV-2 infection and common comorbidities

Financial toxicity is common in individuals with COVID-19 and Long COVID. However, the extent of financial toxicity experienced, in comparison to other common comorbidities, is uncertain. Contributing factors exacerbating financial challenges in Long COVID are also unclear. These knowledge gaps are addressed via a cross-sectional analysis utilizing data from the 2022 National Health Interview Survey (NHIS), a representative sample drawn from the United States. COVID-19 cases were identified through self-reported positive testing or physician diagnoses. Long COVID was defined as experiencing COVID-19-related symptoms for more than three months. Comorbidity was assessed based on self-reported diagnoses of ten doctor-diagnosed conditions (Yes/No). Financial toxicity was defined as having difficulty paying medical bills, cost-related medication nonadherence, delaying healthcare due to cost, and/or not obtained healthcare due to cost. A total of 27,492 NHIS 2022 respondents were included in our analysis, representing 253 million U.S. adults. In multivariable logistic regression models, adults with Long COVID (excluding respondents with COVID-19 but not Long COVID), showed increased financial toxicity compared to those with other comorbidities, such as epilepsy (OR [95% CI]: 1.69 [1.22, 2.33]), dementia (1.51 [1.01, 2.25]), cancer (1.43 [1.19, 1.71]) or respiratory/cardiovascular conditions (1.18 [1.00, 1.40]/1.23 [1.02, 1.47]). Long COVID-related financial toxicity was associated with female sex, age <65 years, lack of medical insurance, current paid employment, residence region, food insecurity, fatigue, mild to severe depression symptoms experienced during the survey completion, visits to hospital emergency rooms, presence of arthritis, cardiovascular or respiratory conditions, and social activity limitations. In conclusion, American adults with Long COVID, but not those who had prior COVID-19 infection without Long COVID, exhibited a higher prevalence of financial toxicity compared to individuals with common comorbidities. Vulnerable populations were at greater risk for financial toxicity. These findings emphasize the importance of evaluating strategies to reduce economic burden and increase awareness of the effect of Long COVID-related financial toxicity on patient's healthcare and health status.

Association of pulmonary function test abnormalities and quality-of-life measures after COVID-19 infection

BACKGROUND

Long-COVID is a multisystem disease that can lead to significant impairments in health-related quality of life (HRQoL). Following COVID-19 infection, abnormalities on pulmonary function tests (PFT) are common. The primary aim of this study is to evaluate for any correlation between PFT abnormalities and impairment in HRQoL scores following COVID-19 infection.

METHODS

This is an analysis of a prospective cohort of patients in Louisville, KY who were infected with COVID-19. Data collected included demographics, past medical history, laboratory tests, PFTs, and several HRQoL questionnaires such as the EuroQol 5 Dimension HRQoL questionnaire (EQ-5D-5 L), Generalized Anxiety Disorder 7 (GAD-7), Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9), and Posttraumatic stress disorder checklist for DSM-5 (PCL-5). Descriptive statistics were performed, comparing PFTs (normal vs abnormal) and time since COVID-19 infection (3- vs 6- vs ≥ 12 months).

RESULTS

There were no significant differences in FEV1, FVC, or the percentage of patients with abnormal PFTs over time after COVID-19 infection. Following COVID-19, patients with normal PFTs had worse impairment in mobility HRQoL scores and change in GAD-7 scores over time. There were no differences over time in any of the HRQoL scores among patients with abnormal PFTs.

CONCLUSIONS

Among patients with an abnormal PFT, there was no temporal association with HRQoL scores as measured by EQ-5D-5 L, GAD-7, PHQ-9, and PCL-5. Among patients with a normal PFT, mobility impairment and anxiety may be associated with COVID-19 infection. Following COVID-19 infection, impairment in HRQoL scores is not completely explained by the presence of abnormalities on spirometry.

Long COVID Definitions and Models of Care : A Scoping Review

BACKGROUND

Definitions of long COVID are evolving, and optimal models of care are uncertain.

PURPOSE

To perform a scoping review on definitions of long COVID and provide an overview of care models, including a proposed framework to describe and distinguish models.

DATA SOURCES

English-language articles from Ovid MEDLINE, PsycINFO, the Cochrane Library, SocINDEX, Scopus, Embase, and CINAHL published between January 2021 and November 2023; gray literature; and discussions with 18 key informants.

STUDY SELECTION

Publications describing long COVID definitions or models of care, supplemented by models described by key informants.

DATA EXTRACTION

Data were extracted by one reviewer and verified for accuracy by another reviewer.

DATA SYNTHESIS

Of 1960 screened citations, 38 were included. Five clinical definitions of long COVID varied with regard to timing since symptom onset and the minimum duration required for diagnosis; 1 additional definition was symptom score-based. Forty-nine long COVID care models were informed by 5 key principles: a core "lead" team, multidisciplinary expertise, comprehensive access to diagnostic and therapeutic services, a patient-centered approach, and providing capacity to meet demand. Seven characteristics provided a framework for distinguishing models: home department or clinical setting, clinical lead, collocation of other specialties, primary care role, population managed, use of teleservices, and whether the model was practice- or systems-based. Using this framework, 10 representative practice-based and 3 systems-based models of care were identified.

LIMITATIONS

Published literature often lacked key model details, data were insufficient to assess model outcomes, and there was overlap between and variability within models.

CONCLUSION

Definitions of long COVID and care models are evolving. Research is needed to optimize models and evaluate outcomes of different models.

PRIMARY FUNDING SOURCE

Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. (Protocol posted at https://effectivehealthcare.ahrq.gov/products/long-covid-models-care/protocol.).

Mobile App-Based Mindfulness Intervention for Addressing Psychological Distress Among Survivors of Hospitalization for COVID-19 Infection

BACKGROUND

Psychological distress symptoms are present and persistent among many patients who survive a critical illness like COVID-19.

RESEARCH QUESTION

Could a self-directed mobile app-delivered mindfulness intervention be feasibly and rapidly implemented within a clinical trials network to reduce distress symptoms?

STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS

A randomized clinical trial was conducted between January 2021 and May 2022 at 29 US sites and included survivors of hospitalization due to COVID-19-related illness with elevated symptoms of depression at discharge. Participants were randomized to intervention or usual care control. The intervention consisted of four themed weeks of daily audio, video, and text content. All study procedures were virtual. The primary outcome was depression symptoms assessed with the Patient Health Questionnaire 9 at 3 months. Secondary outcomes included anxiety (Generalized Anxiety Disorder 7-item scale), quality of life (EQ-5D), and adherence. We used general linear models to estimate treatment arm differences in outcomes over time.

RESULTS

Among 56 randomized participants (mean age ± SD, 51.0 ± 13.2 years; 38 female [67.9%]; 14 Black participants [25%]), 45 (intervention: n = 23 [79%]; control: n = 22 [81%]) were retained at 6 months. There was no difference in mean improvement between intervention and control participants at 3 months in Patient Health Questionnaire 9 (-0.5 vs 0.1), Generalized Anxiety Disorder 7-item scale (-0.3 vs 0.1), or EQ-5D (-0.03 vs 0.02) scores, respectively; 6-month results were similar. Only 15 participants (51.7%) initiated the intervention, whereas the mean number ± SD of the 56 prescribed intervention activities completed was 12.0 ± 15.2. Regulatory approvals delayed trial initiation by nearly a year.

INTERPRETATION

Among survivors of COVID-19 hospitalization with elevated psychological distress symptoms, a self-directed mobile app-based mindfulness intervention had poor adherence. Future psychological distress interventions mobilized at broad scale should focus efforts on patient engagement and regulatory simplification to enhance success.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

ClinicalTrials.gov; No.: NCT04581200; URL: www.clinicaltrials.gov.

Long COVID and its association with neurodegenerative diseases: pathogenesis, neuroimaging, and treatment

Corona Virus disease 2019 (COVID-19), caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2), has presented unprecedented challenges to the world. Changes after acute COVID-19 have had a significant impact on patients with neurodegenerative diseases. This study aims to explore the mechanism of neurodegenerative diseases by examining the main pathways of central nervous system infection of SARS-CoV-2. Research has indicated that chronic inflammation and abnormal immune response are the primary factors leading to neuronal damage and long-term consequences of COVID-19. In some COVID-19 patients, the concurrent inflammatory response leads to increased release of pro-inflammatory cytokines, which may significantly impact the prognosis. Molecular imaging can accurately assess the severity of neurodegenerative diseases in patients with COVID-19 after the acute phase. Furthermore, the use of FDG-PET is advocated to quantify the relationship between neuroinflammation and psychiatric and cognitive symptoms in patients who have recovered from COVID-19. Future development should focus on aggressive post-infection control of inflammation and the development of targeted therapies that target ACE2 receptors, ERK1/2, and Ca2+.

Self-Reported Everyday Functioning After COVID-19 Infection

Importance

Changes in everyday functioning are crucial to assessing the long-term impact of COVID-19 infection.

Objective

To examine the impact of COVID-19 infection on everyday functioning 18 months after infection among veterans with and without histories of COVID-19 infection.

Design, Setting, and Participants

This cohort study used data from the US Veterans Affairs (VA) and included 186 veterans who had COVID-19 between October 2020 and April 2021 (ie, COVID-19 cohort) and 186 matched comparators who did not have documented COVID-19 infections (ie, control cohort). This match balanced the risk of COVID-19 based on 39 variables measured in the 24 months before infection or match, using principles of target trial emulation. Data were analyzed from December 2022 to December 2023.

Exposure

First documented COVID-19.

Main Outcome and Measures

The differences in self-reported everyday functioning 18 months after COVID-19 infection were estimated and compared with their matched comparators. Within-matched pair logistic and linear regressions assessed differences in outcomes and were weighted to account for sampling and nonresponse.

Results

Among the 186 matched pairs of participants, their weighted mean age was 60.4 (95% CI, 57.5 to 63.2) years among veterans in the COVID-19 cohort (weighted sample, 91 459 of 101 133 [90.4%] male; 30 611 [30.3%] Black or African American veterans; 65 196 [64.4%] White veterans) and 61.1 (95% CI, 57.8 to 64.4) years among their comparators in the control cohort (91 459 [90.4%] male; 24 576 [24.3%] Black or African American veterans; 70 157 [69.4%] White veterans). A high proportion of veterans in the COVID-19 cohort (weighted percentage, 44.9% [95% CI, 34.2% to 56.2%]) reported that they could do less than what they felt they could do at the beginning of 2020 compared with the control cohort (weighted percentage, 35.3%; [95% CI, 25.6% to 46.4%]; within-matched pair adjusted odds ratio [OR], 1.52 [95% CI, 0.79 to 2.91]). There was no association of documented COVID-19 infection with fatigue, substantial pain, limitations in either activities of daily living and instrumental activities of daily living, severely curtailed life-space mobility, employment, or mean health-related quality of life on a utility scale.

Conclusions and Relevance

In this cohort study of veterans with and without documented COVID-19, many reported a substantial loss of everyday functioning during the pandemic regardless of whether or not they had a documented infection with COVID-19. Future work with larger samples is needed to validate the estimated associations.

Systems analysis of innate and adaptive immunity in Long COVID

Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, significant progress has been made in developing effective preventive and therapeutic strategies against severe acute SARS-CoV-2 infection. However, the management of Long COVID (LC), an infection-associated chronic condition that has been estimated to affect 5-20% of individuals following SARS-CoV-2 infection, remains challenging due to our limited understanding of its mechanisms. Although LC is a heterogeneous disease that is likely to have several subtypes, immune system disturbances appear common across many cases. The extent to which these immune perturbations contribute to LC symptoms, however, is not entirely clear. Recent advancements in multi-omics technologies, capable of detailed, cell-level analysis, have provided valuable insights into the immune perturbations associated with LC. Although these studies are largely descriptive in nature, they are the crucial first step towards a deeper understanding of the condition and the immune system's role in its development, progression, and resolution. In this review, we summarize the current understanding of immune perturbations in LC, covering both innate and adaptive immune responses, and the cytokines and analytes involved. We explore whether these findings support or challenge the primary hypotheses about LC's underlying mechanisms. We also discuss the crosstalk between various immune system components and how it can be disrupted in LC. Finally, we emphasize the need for more tissue- and subtype-focused analyses of LC, and for enhanced collaborative efforts to analyze common specimens from large cohorts, including those undergoing therapeutic interventions. These collective efforts are vital to unravel the fundaments of this new disease, and could also shed light on the prevention and treatment of the larger family of chronic illnesses linked to other microbial infections.

Could an integrated model of health and social care after critical illness reduce socioeconomic disparities in outcomes? A Bayesian analysis

Background

There is limited evidence to understand what impact, if any, recovery services might have for patients across the socioeconomic spectrum after critical illness. We analysed data from a multicentre critical care recovery programme to understand the impact of this programme across the socioeconomic spectrum.

Methods

The setting for this pre-planned secondary analysis was a critical care rehabilitation programme-Intensive Care Syndrome: Promoting Independence and Return to Employment. Data were collected from five hospital sites running this programme. We utilised a Bayesian approach to analysis and explore any possible effect of the InS:PIRE intervention on Health-Related Quality of Life (HRQoL) across the socioeconomic gradient. A Bayesian quantile, non-linear mixed effects regression model, using a compound symmetry covariance structure, accounting for multiple timepoints was utilised. The Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation (SIMD) was used to measure socioeconomic status and HRQoL was measured using the EQ-5D-5L.

Results

In the initial baseline cohort of 182 patients, 55% of patients were male, the median age was 58 yr (inter-quartile range: 50-66 yr) and 129 (79%) patients had two or more comorbidities at ICU admission. Using the neutral prior, there was an overall probability of intervention benefit of 100% (β=0.71, 95% credible interval: 0.34-1.09) over 12 months to those in the SIMD≤3 cohort, and an 98.6% (β=-1.38, 95% credible interval: -2.62 to -0.16) probability of greater benefit (i.e. a steeper increase in improvement) at 12 months in the SIMD≤3 vs SIMD≥4 cohort in the EQ-visual analogue scale.

Conclusions

Using multicentre data, this re-analysis suggests, but does not prove, that an integrated health and social care intervention is likely to improve outcomes across the socioeconomic gradient after critical illness, with a potentially greater benefit for those from deprived communities. Future research designed to prospectively analyse how critical care recovery programmes could potentially improve outcomes across the socioeconomic gradient is warranted.

Features of acute COVID-19 associated with post-acute sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 phenotypes: results from the IMPACC study

Post-acute sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 (PASC) is a significant public health concern. We describe Patient Reported Outcomes (PROs) on 590 participants prospectively assessed from hospital admission for COVID-19 through one year after discharge. Modeling identified 4 PRO clusters based on reported deficits (minimal, physical, mental/cognitive, and multidomain), supporting heterogenous clinical presentations in PASC, with sub-phenotypes associated with female sex and distinctive comorbidities. During the acute phase of disease, a higher respiratory SARS-CoV-2 viral burden and lower Receptor Binding Domain and Spike antibody titers were associated with both the physical predominant and the multidomain deficit clusters. A lower frequency of circulating B lymphocytes by mass cytometry (CyTOF) was observed in the multidomain deficit cluster. Circulating fibroblast growth factor 21 (FGF21) was significantly elevated in the mental/cognitive predominant and the multidomain clusters. Future efforts to link PASC to acute anti-viral host responses may help to better target treatment and prevention of PASC.

Long COVID in Persons With Self-Reported Arthritis: Symptoms, Associated Factors, and Functional Limitations

OBJECTIVE

The aim is to describe both long COVID symptoms and associated factors in a cohort of individuals with a self-reported history of arthritis as well as change in function in persons with arthritis and long COVID compared to pre-COVID status.

METHODS

Among 2,764 persons with a confirmed COVID-19 diagnosis who responded to an online survey at least 12 weeks post-infection, 171 reported a history of arthritis and formed our study sample. We calculated the frequency of long COVID defined as troubled by persistent symptoms and evaluated associated factors using bivariate analysis and multivariable logistic regression. Among those with long COVID, we describe limitations in activity and function in comparison to pre-COVID status.

RESULTS

In our sample, 53.5% (n = 91) reported being troubled by ongoing symptoms at the time of completing the questionnaire (long COVID), with the most frequent symptoms as the following: fatigue, myalgia, weakness, breathlessness, low mood, anxiety, and sleep disturbance. Factors associated with long COVID were female sex, having been hospitalized for COVID, and having at least 1 other chronic disease. Persons with long COVID had substantial declines in function, notably in global health status, usual activities, mobility, personal care, and employment status. Also, 37% of those with long COVID reported moderate to severe increase in pain.

CONCLUSION

Persons with arthritis who have long COVID have substantial limitations in function compared to their pre-COVID status. There is a need to implement effective interventions to improve functional status in persons with arthritis and long COVID.

Association of Severe COVID-19 and Persistent COVID-19 Symptoms With Economic Hardship Among US Families

Importance

Little is known about the association of severe COVID-19 and post-COVID-19 conditions with household finances.

Objective

To examine associations between COVID-19 outcomes, pandemic-related economic hardship, and prepandemic socioeconomic status among families in the US.

Design, Setting, and Participants

This cohort study used data from the Panel Study of Income Dynamics (PSID), a nationally representative, longitudinal study. Data included 6932 families active in the PSID in both 2019 and 2021.

Exposures

Ordinal exposure categories were defined based on whether the reference person or spouse or partner reported a positive COVID-19 diagnosis and (1) persistent COVID-19 symptoms, (2) previous severe COVID-19, or (3) previous moderate, mild, or asymptomatic COVID-19. Families with no history of COVID-19 served as the reference group.

Main Outcomes and Measures

Outcomes included whether a resident family member was laid off or furloughed, lost earnings, or had any financial difficulties due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Results

In this cohort study of 6932 families (772 Hispanic families [weighted, 13.5%; 95% CI, 12.4%-14.6%], 2725 non-Hispanic Black families [weighted, 13.1%; 95% CI, 12.3%-14.1%], and 3242 non-Hispanic White families [weighted, 66.8%; 95% CI, 65.2%-68.3%]), close to 1 in 4 (2222 [weighted, 27.0%; 95% CI, 25.6%-28.6%]) reported income below 200% of the US Census Bureau poverty threshold. In survey-weighted regression models adjusted for prepandemic sociodemographic characteristics and experiences of economic hardship, the odds of reporting pandemic-related economic hardship were 2.0 to 3.7 times higher among families headed by an adult with persistent COVID-19 symptoms (laid off or furloughed: adjusted odds ratio [AOR], 1.98 [95% CI, 1.37-2.85]; lost earnings: AOR, 2.86 [95% CI, 2.06-3.97]; financial difficulties: AOR, 3.72 [95% CI, 2.62-5.27]) and 1.7 to 2.0 times higher among families headed by an adult with previous severe COVID-19 (laid off or furloughed: AOR, 1.69 [95% CI, 1.13-2.53]; lost earnings: AOR, 1.99 [95% CI, 1.37-2.90]; financial difficulties: AOR, 1.87 [95% CI, 1.25-2.80]) compared with families with no history of COVID-19. Families headed by an adult with persistent COVID-19 symptoms had increased odds of reporting financial difficulties due to the pandemic regardless of prepandemic socioeconomic status (families with lower income: AOR, 3.71 [95% CI, 1.94-7.10]; families with higher income: AOR, 3.74 [95% CI, 2.48-5.63]). Previous severe COVID-19 was significantly associated with financial difficulties among families with lower income (AOR, 2.59 [95% CI, 1.26-5.31]) but was not significantly associated with financial difficulties among those with high income (OR, 1.56 [95% CI, 0.95-2.56]).

Conclusions and Relevance

This cohort study suggests that persistent COVID-19 symptoms and, to a lesser extent, previous severe COVID-19 were associated with increased odds of pandemic-related economic hardship in a cohort of US families. The economic consequences of COVID-19 varied according to socioeconomic status; families with lower income before the pandemic were more vulnerable to employment disruptions and earnings losses associated with an adult family member's COVID-19 illness.

Social vulnerability and new mobility disability among adults with polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-confirmed SARS-CoV-2: Michigan COVID-19 Recovery Surveillance Study

OBJECTIVE

Understanding the relationship between social factors and persistent COVID-19 health outcomes, such as onset of a disability after a SARS-CoV-2 (the virus that causes COVID-19) infection, is an increasingly important public health issue. The purpose of this paper is to examine associations between social vulnerability and new onset of a mobility disability post-COVID-19 diagnosis.

METHODS

We used data from the Michigan COVID-19 Recovery Surveillance Study, a population-based probability survey of adults with PCR-confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection in Michigan between January 2020-May 2022 (n = 4295). We used the Minority Health Social Vulnerability Index (MHSVI), with high county-level social vulnerability defined at or above the 75th percentile. Mobility disability was defined as new difficulty walking or climbing stairs. We regressed mobility disability on the overall MHSVI, as well as sub-themes of the index (socioeconomic status, household composition/disability, minority and language, housing type, healthcare access, and medical vulnerability), using multivariable logistic regression, adjusting for age, race, sex, education, employment, and income.

RESULTS

Living in a county with high (vs. low) social vulnerability was associated with 1.38 times higher odds (95% confidence interval [CI]:1.18-1.61) of reporting a new mobility disability after a COVID-19 diagnosis after adjustment. Similar results were observed for the socioeconomic status and household composition/disability sub-themes. In contrast, residents of highly racially diverse counties had lower odds (odds ratio 0.74, 95% CI: 0.61, 0.89) of reporting a new mobility disability compared to low diversity counties.

CONCLUSIONS

Mitigating the effects of social vulnerabilities requires additional resources and attention to support affected individuals.

ASSESSMENT AND CHARACTERIZATION OF COVID-19 RELATED COGNITIVE DECLINE: RESULTS FROM A NATURAL EXPERIMENT

Background

Cognitive impairment is the most common and disabling manifestation of post-acute sequelae of SARS-CoV-2. There is an urgent need for the application of more stringent methods for evaluating cognitive outcomes in research studies.

Objective

To determine whether cognitive decline emerges with the onset of COVID-19 and whether it is more pronounced in patients with Post-Acute Sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 or severe COVID-19.

Methods

This longitudinal cohort study compared the cognitive performance of 276 patients with COVID-19 to that of 217 controls across four neuroinflammation or vascular disease-sensitive domains of cognition using data collected both before and after the pandemic starting in 2015.

Results

The mean age of the COVID-19 group was 56.04±6.6 years, while that of the control group was 58.1±7.3 years. Longitudinal models indicated a significant decline in cognitive throughput ((β=-0.168, P=.001) following COVID-19, after adjustment for pre-COVID-19 functioning, demographics, and medical factors. The effect sizes were large; the observed changes in throughput were equivalent to 10.6 years of normal aging and a 59.8% increase in the burden of mild cognitive impairment. Cognitive decline worsened with coronavirus disease 2019 severity and was concentrated in participants reporting post-acute sequelae of SARS-CoV-2.

Conclusion

COVID-19 was most likely associated with the observed cognitive decline, which was worse among patients with PASC or severe COVID-19. Monitoring patients with post-acute sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 for declines in the domains of processing speed and visual working memory and determining the long-term prognosis of this decline are therefore warranted.

Mitigating neurological, cognitive, and psychiatric sequelae of COVID-19-related critical illness

Despite advances in the treatment and mitigation of critical illness caused by infection with SARS-CoV-2, millions of survivors have a devastating, post-acute infection syndrome known as long COVID. A large proportion of patients with long COVID have nervous system dysfunction, which is also seen in the distinct but overlapping condition of post-intensive care syndrome (PICS), putting survivors of COVID-19-related critical illness at high risk of long-lasting morbidity affecting multiple organ systems and, as a result, engendering measurable deficits in quality of life and productivity. In this Series paper, we discuss neurological, cognitive, and psychiatric sequelae in patients who have survived critical illness due to COVID-19. We review current knowledge of the epidemiology and pathophysiology of persistent neuropsychological impairments, and outline potential preventive strategies based on safe, evidence-based approaches to the management of pain, agitation, delirium, anticoagulation, and ventilator weaning during critical illness. We highlight priorities for current and future research, including possible therapeutic approaches, and offer considerations for health services to address the escalating health burden of long COVID.

Patient adverse financial outcomes before and after COVID-19 infection

Adverse financial outcomes after COVID-19 infection and hospitalization have not been assessed with appropriate comparators to account for other financial disruptions of 2020-2021. Using credit report data from 132,109 commercially insured COVID-19 survivors, we compared the rates of adverse financial outcomes for two cohorts of individuals with credit outcomes measured before and after COVID-19 infection, using an interaction term between cohort and hospitalization to test whether adverse credit outcomes changed more for hospitalized than nonhospitalized COVID-19 patients. Covariates included age group, gender, and several area-level social determinants of health. Adverse financial outcomes were significantly more common after COVID-19 infection than before COVID-19 infection, with greater increases among those hospitalized with COVID-19 (5-8 percentage points) than among nonhospitalized patients (1-3 percentage points). Future work examining longitudinal financial outcomes before and after COVID-19 infection is needed to determine the causal mechanisms of this association to reduce financial hardship from COVID-19 and other conditions.

The impact of vaccination and outpatient treatment on the economic burden of Covid-19 in the United States omicron era: a systematic literature review

AIMS

To identify and synthesize evidence regarding how coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) interventions, including vaccines and outpatient treatments, have impacted healthcare resource use (HCRU) and costs in the United States (US) during the Omicron era.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A systematic literature review (SLR) was performed to identify articles published between 1 January 2021 and 10 March 2023 that assessed the impact of vaccination and outpatient treatment on costs and HCRU outcomes associated with COVID-19. Screening was performed by two independent researchers using predefined inclusion/exclusion criteria.

RESULTS

Fifty-eight unique studies were included in the SLR, of which all reported HCRU outcomes, and one reported costs. Overall, there was a significant reduction in the risk of COVID-19-related hospitalization for patients who received an original monovalent primary series vaccine plus booster dose vs. no vaccination. Moreover, receipt of a booster vaccine was associated with a lower risk of hospitalization vs. primary series vaccination. Evidence also indicated a significantly reduced risk of hospitalizations among recipients of nirmatrelvir/ritonavir (NMV/r), remdesivir, sotrovimab, and molnupiravir compared to non-recipients. Treated and/or vaccinated patients also experienced reductions in intensive care unit (ICU) admissions, length of stay, and emergency department (ED)/urgent care clinic encounters.

LIMITATIONS

The identified studies may not represent unique patient populations as many utilized the same regional/national data sources. Synthesis of the evidence was also limited by differences in populations, outcome definitions, and varying duration of follow-up across studies. Additionally, significant gaps, including HCRU associated with long COVID and various high-risk populations and cost data, were observed.

CONCLUSIONS

Despite evidence gaps, findings from the SLR highlight the significant positive impact that vaccination and outpatient treatment have had on HCRU in the US, including periods of Omicron predominance. Continued research is needed to inform clinical and policy decision-making in the US as COVID-19 continues to evolve as an endemic disease.