Long COVID Symptoms and Inflammatory Biomarkers in Brazil
Author Information
Author(s): Maciel Alex Bezerra Silva, Pinto Arlene Santos, Maia Silva Bernardo, Goulart Cassia Luz, Silva Luis Felipe Alho, Chaves Amanda Silva, Mouta Gabriel Santos, Sato Camila Miriam Suemi, Valente Jefferson, Mwangi Victor Irungu, de Melo Gisely Cardoso, Monteiro Wuelton, Lacerda Marcus, Arêas Guilherme Peixoto Tinoco, Sampaio Vanderson Souza, Costa Allyson Guimaraes, Almeida-Val Fernando
Primary Institution: Fundação de Medicina Tropical Dr Heitor Vieira Dourado, Manaus, AM, Brazil
Hypothesis
Long COVID may be caused by abnormal, sustained, and elevated levels of biomarker inflammation present in the blood after an acute severe SARS-CoV-2 infection has subsided.
Conclusion
Symptoms of long COVID persist for more than 2 years after hospital discharge, with vaccination showing a significant influence on reducing fatigue symptoms in males.
Supporting Evidence
- 91.3% of patients exhibited onset of long COVID symptoms four months after hospitalization.
- 63.7% of patients reported persistent long COVID symptoms after two years.
- Vaccination with four doses showed a slight protective effect against fatigue symptoms in males.
- Elevated levels of IL-1β, IL-10, and TNF were associated with long COVID symptoms.
- Neutrophil and leukocyte counts significantly reduced two years after hospitalization.
- Platelet count was the best predictor of long COVID symptoms up to two years.
Takeaway
People who had severe COVID-19 can still feel sick for a long time after getting better, and getting vaccinated might help them feel less tired.
Methodology
This study is a longitudinal cohort study assessing inflammatory biomarker profiles in patients after severe COVID-19 over 2 years.
Potential Biases
Self-reported symptoms may introduce bias in the assessment of long COVID.
Limitations
Long COVID symptoms were self-reported, and the study did not include uninfected controls or patients infected with other variants.
Participant Demographics
80 participants, predominantly female (56.3%), aged 52.7 years on average, with 90% having pre-existing comorbidities.
Statistical Information
P-Value
0.054
Confidence Interval
95% CI 0.22 - 1.02
Statistical Significance
p<0.05
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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