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. 2021 Apr;76(4):405-407.
doi: 10.1136/thoraxjnl-2020-216377. Epub 2020 Dec 3.

Persistent symptoms 1.5-6 months after COVID-19 in non-hospitalised subjects: a population-based cohort study

Knut Stavem  1   2   3 , Waleed Ghanima  4   5 , Magnus Kringstad Olsen  6 , Hanne Margrethe Gilboe  7 , Gunnar Einvik  8   3
Affiliations

Persistent symptoms 1.5-6 months after COVID-19 in non-hospitalised subjects: a population-based cohort study

Knut Stavem et al. Thorax. 2021 Apr.

Abstract

This study assessed symptoms and their determinants 1.5-6 months after symptom onset in non-hospitalised subjects with confirmed COVID-19 until 1 June 2020, in a geographically defined area. We invited 938 subjects; 451 (48%) responded. They reported less symptoms after 1.5-6 months than during COVID-19; median (IQR) 0 (0-2) versus 8 (6-11), respectively (p<0.001); 53% of women and 67% of men were symptom free, while 16% reported dyspnoea, 12% loss/disturbance of smell, and 10% loss/disturbance of taste. In multivariable analysis, having persistent symptoms was associated with the number of comorbidities and number of symptoms during the acute COVID-19 phase.

Keywords: clinical epidemiology; pneumonia; viral infection.

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Conflict of interest statement

Competing interests: All authors have completed the ICMJE uniform disclosure form at www.icmje.org/coi_disclosure.pdf. WG reports grants and personal fees from Novartis, grants and personal fees from Amgen, grants from Bayer, grants from BMS, grants from Pfizer, personal fees from MSD, outside the submitted work. The other authors declare: no support from any organisation for the submitted work; no financial relationships with any organisations that might have an interest in the submitted work in the previous three years; no other relationships or activities that could appear to have influenced the submitted work.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Symptoms during COVID-19 and 1.5–6 months later, in per cent.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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