Omicron causes Long Covid (symptoms at 90 days) in 18% of highly vaccinated populations
Study of 22,700 people published in MJA by Mulu Woldegiorgis, Gemma Cadby, Sera Ngeh, Rosemary J Korda, Paul K Armstrong, Jelena Maticevic, Paul Knight, Andrew Jardine, Lauren E Bloomfield, Paul V Effler
The known: The estimated prevalence of long COVID varies widely between studies (range, 9–81% of people with SARS-CoV-2 infections).
The new: In a highly vaccinated population not broadly exposed to earlier SARS-CoV-2 variants, 18% of people infected with the Omicron variant reported symptoms consistent with long COVID 90 days after infection; 18% of these people had not fully resumed previous work or study by three months, and 38% required care from general practitioners for their symptoms two to three months after infection.
The implications: Long COVID affects a considerable number of people in Australia, and general practices play a major role in managing its burden.
