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. 2025 Jan 29;13(3):262.
doi: 10.3390/healthcare13030262.

Self-Reported Long COVID and Its Impact on COVID-19-Related Worries and Behaviors After Lifting the COVID-19 Restrictions in China

Ziying Yang  1 , Yihan Tang  1 , Lingyu Kong  1 , Xu Wang  1 , Jinghua Li  1   2   3   4   5 , Yuantao Hao  1   3   4   5   6 , Zhiwei Wang  7 , Jing Gu  1   2   3   4   5
Affiliations

Self-Reported Long COVID and Its Impact on COVID-19-Related Worries and Behaviors After Lifting the COVID-19 Restrictions in China

Ziying Yang et al. Healthcare (Basel). .

Abstract

Objective: Since the lifting of the COVID-19 restrictions in China in November 2022, there has been a notable surge in the COVID-19 infection rate. Little is known about the prevalence of long COVID among the general adult population and its impact on COVID-19-related worries and behaviors after the policy change.

Methods: This cross-sectional study recruited 1530 adults with prior COVID-19 infection in Guangzhou from February to March 2023. Logistic regression analyses and trend analyses were performed to investigate the associations between long COVID- and COVID-19-related worries and preventive behaviors.

Results: The estimated prevalence of long COVID among adults in China was 18.0% (95% confidence interval: 16.1% to 20.0%). Common long COVID symptoms included cough (60.7%), fatigue (47.6%), dyspnea (34.5%), palpitation (26.2%), and insomnia (25.1%). Adjusted for background variables, individuals with long COVID exhibited higher level of COVID-19-related worries compared to those who had fully recovered from the infection (reference: without long COVID; adjusted odds ratios ranged from 1.87 to 2.55, all p values < 0.001). Participants primarily expressed worries regarding the potential for COVID-19 reinfection, the impact of the pandemic on daily life, the increasing number of COVID-19 cases and deaths, and the capacity of the healthcare system. While long COVID did not statistically significantly affect their preventive behaviors.

Conclusions: Long COVID was prevalent among the general adult population in China after lifting the COVID-19 restrictions, and it had a significant impact on COVID-19-related worries. This study highlights the importance of monitoring the mental health of individuals with long COVID and developing targeted intervention strategies to improve their adherence to preventive measures.

Keywords: COVID-19-related worries; long COVID; mental health; preventive measures.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Flowchart of included sample.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Distribution of long COVID symptoms among participants who self-reported long COVID (n = 275).
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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