Post-infection symptoms up to 24 months after COVID-19: a matched cohort study in Berlin, Germany
IntroductionLong-term health consequences after mild COVID-19 are not well described. Our aim was to estimate their prevalence and describe the time course of signs and symptoms for a period of up to 24 months after SARS-CoV-2 infection.MethodsWe conducted a cohort study matched for age, sex, and te...
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2025-03-01
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| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2025.1513664/full |
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| author | Anne Meierkord Anne Meierkord Daniel Schulze Maximilian Gertler Joachim Seybold Marcus A. Mall Marcus A. Mall Marcus A. Mall Tobias Kurth Frank P. Mockenhaupt Stefanie Theuring |
| author_facet | Anne Meierkord Anne Meierkord Daniel Schulze Maximilian Gertler Joachim Seybold Marcus A. Mall Marcus A. Mall Marcus A. Mall Tobias Kurth Frank P. Mockenhaupt Stefanie Theuring |
| author_sort | Anne Meierkord |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | IntroductionLong-term health consequences after mild COVID-19 are not well described. Our aim was to estimate their prevalence and describe the time course of signs and symptoms for a period of up to 24 months after SARS-CoV-2 infection.MethodsWe conducted a cohort study matched for age, sex, and test week among individuals who had attended the public COVID-19 test center at Charité—Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Germany. In early 2022, 576 former COVID-19 patients (>95% non-hospitalized) and 302 uninfected individuals responded to a questionnaire on retrospective monthly symptoms since the test date up to 24 months ago.ResultsSymptoms compatible with long COVID were present in 42.9% (247/576) of former COVID-19 patients, compared with 21.2% (64/302) in the uninfected group. In former patients, unadjusted odds ratios (OR) were highest for disturbed taste/smell (OR 9.1 [95% CI: 4.0–21.1]), memory difficulties (OR 5.1 [95% CI: 2.9–8.9]), and shortness of breath at rest (OR 4.5 [95% CI: 1.9–10.6]). In most former COVID-19 patients, symptoms occurred in one coherent period and resolved after a median of 6.5 months, while taste/smell disturbance and neurological/cognitive symptoms showed longer times until recovery. Factors associated with long COVID-compatible symptoms included hospitalization, symptomatic COVID-19 infection, low household income and female sex.ConclusionPost-infection symptoms in mild COVID-19 patients mostly persist for about half a year, but sometimes longer. Among uninfected individuals who never experienced COVID-19, 21.2% also reported long COVID-compatible symptoms. The current long COVID definition might require revision to prevent misclassification and over-reporting, and to improve diagnosis and prevalence estimates. |
| format | Article |
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| institution | DOAJ |
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| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-03-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
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| spelling | doaj-art-a55f8712030b4b89bb66d8adff6ca68b2025-08-20T02:47:51ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Public Health2296-25652025-03-011310.3389/fpubh.2025.15136641513664Post-infection symptoms up to 24 months after COVID-19: a matched cohort study in Berlin, GermanyAnne Meierkord0Anne Meierkord1Daniel Schulze2Maximilian Gertler3Joachim Seybold4Marcus A. Mall5Marcus A. Mall6Marcus A. Mall7Tobias Kurth8Frank P. Mockenhaupt9Stefanie Theuring10Institute of International Health, Charité Center for Global Health, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, GermanyCentre for International Health Protection, Robert Koch Institute, Berlin, GermanyInstitute of Biometry and Clinical Epidemiology, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, GermanyInstitute of International Health, Charité Center for Global Health, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, GermanyMedical Directorate, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, GermanyDepartment of Pediatric Respiratory Medicine, Immunology and Critical Care Medicine, Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, GermanyGerman Centre for Child and Adolescent Health (DZKJ), partner site Berlin, Berlin, GermanyGerman Centre for Lung Research (DZL), Berlin, GermanyInstitute of Public Health, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, GermanyInstitute of International Health, Charité Center for Global Health, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, GermanyInstitute of International Health, Charité Center for Global Health, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, GermanyIntroductionLong-term health consequences after mild COVID-19 are not well described. Our aim was to estimate their prevalence and describe the time course of signs and symptoms for a period of up to 24 months after SARS-CoV-2 infection.MethodsWe conducted a cohort study matched for age, sex, and test week among individuals who had attended the public COVID-19 test center at Charité—Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Germany. In early 2022, 576 former COVID-19 patients (>95% non-hospitalized) and 302 uninfected individuals responded to a questionnaire on retrospective monthly symptoms since the test date up to 24 months ago.ResultsSymptoms compatible with long COVID were present in 42.9% (247/576) of former COVID-19 patients, compared with 21.2% (64/302) in the uninfected group. In former patients, unadjusted odds ratios (OR) were highest for disturbed taste/smell (OR 9.1 [95% CI: 4.0–21.1]), memory difficulties (OR 5.1 [95% CI: 2.9–8.9]), and shortness of breath at rest (OR 4.5 [95% CI: 1.9–10.6]). In most former COVID-19 patients, symptoms occurred in one coherent period and resolved after a median of 6.5 months, while taste/smell disturbance and neurological/cognitive symptoms showed longer times until recovery. Factors associated with long COVID-compatible symptoms included hospitalization, symptomatic COVID-19 infection, low household income and female sex.ConclusionPost-infection symptoms in mild COVID-19 patients mostly persist for about half a year, but sometimes longer. Among uninfected individuals who never experienced COVID-19, 21.2% also reported long COVID-compatible symptoms. The current long COVID definition might require revision to prevent misclassification and over-reporting, and to improve diagnosis and prevalence estimates.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2025.1513664/fulllong COVIDpost-acute sequel of COVID-19post COVID-19 conditionCOVID-19SARS-CoV-2 |
| spellingShingle | Anne Meierkord Anne Meierkord Daniel Schulze Maximilian Gertler Joachim Seybold Marcus A. Mall Marcus A. Mall Marcus A. Mall Tobias Kurth Frank P. Mockenhaupt Stefanie Theuring Post-infection symptoms up to 24 months after COVID-19: a matched cohort study in Berlin, Germany Frontiers in Public Health long COVID post-acute sequel of COVID-19 post COVID-19 condition COVID-19 SARS-CoV-2 |
| title | Post-infection symptoms up to 24 months after COVID-19: a matched cohort study in Berlin, Germany |
| title_full | Post-infection symptoms up to 24 months after COVID-19: a matched cohort study in Berlin, Germany |
| title_fullStr | Post-infection symptoms up to 24 months after COVID-19: a matched cohort study in Berlin, Germany |
| title_full_unstemmed | Post-infection symptoms up to 24 months after COVID-19: a matched cohort study in Berlin, Germany |
| title_short | Post-infection symptoms up to 24 months after COVID-19: a matched cohort study in Berlin, Germany |
| title_sort | post infection symptoms up to 24 months after covid 19 a matched cohort study in berlin germany |
| topic | long COVID post-acute sequel of COVID-19 post COVID-19 condition COVID-19 SARS-CoV-2 |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2025.1513664/full |
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