Finding Potential Disparities in Long COVID Symptoms

Black and Hispanic Americans appear to experience more symptoms and health problems related to long COVID than white people but are not as likely to be diagnosed with the condition, according to new research funded by the National Institutes of Health. The findings – from two different studies add to a growing body of research aimed at better understanding the complex symptoms and other issues associated with long COVID that millions have experienced.

In one analysis, published in the Journal of General Internal Medicine, researchers looked at the health records of 62,339 adults who received a positive COVID-19 test at one of five academic health centers in New York City, all between March 2020 and October 2021. They tracked the patients’ health for one to six months after the positive test and compared the findings to 247,881 adults who never had COVID-19.

Among 13,106 adults who had severe COVID-19 that required hospital care, the researchers found black and Hispanic adults were disproportionately represented. Of those who had these severe cases, for example, 1 in 4 were black adults, 1 in 4 were Hispanic adults, and 1 in 7 were white adults.

In the months following infection, black adults with severe disease were more likely than white adults to be diagnosed with diabetes and experience headaches, chest pain, and joint pain, but less likely to have sleep disorders, cognitive problems, or fatigue.

Prevalence and Correlates of Long COVID Symptoms Among US Adults

Similarly, Hispanic adults who required hospital care were more likely than white adults to have headaches, shortness of breath, joint pain, and chest pain, but less likely to have sleep disorders, cognitive problems, or fatigue.

Similar patterns emerged among people with mild to moderate diseases. Among patients who were not hospitalized, black adults were more likely to have blood clots in their lungs, chest pain, joint pain, anemia, or malnourished.

The researchers also found that in comparison to people who did not have COVID, those who did were more likely to experience conditions affecting their nervous system, respiratory function, and circulation, and more likely to feel fatigued or have joint pain.

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In the second study, which was published in BMC Medicine, researchers analyzed data from the electronic health records of 33,782 adults and children who received a diagnosis of long COVID between October 2021 and May 2022 at one of 34 U.S. medical centers.

Most of the patients with long COVID had just mild to moderate, not severe, symptoms of acute infection. They also discovered that long-term symptoms could be grouped into common clusters – cardiopulmonary, neurological, gastrointestinal, and coexisting conditions – as well as by age.

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Children and teens were more likely to experience gastrointestinal and upper respiratory problems, including stomach aches and coughing. Adults ages 21-45 commonly experience neurological problems, such as brain fog and fatigue.

Adults aged 66 and older were more likely to have coexisting conditions, such as heart problems and diabetes, which the authors suspect is more likely present because of age than long COVID.

This new evidence suggests that there may be important differences in how long COVID manifests in different racial and ethnic groups. However, further research is needed to better understand the mechanisms for these differences in symptoms and access to care, and as well as whether diagnostic codes assigned by clinicians may play a role.

This research also contributes to our understanding of symptom clusters in long COVID that may be differentiated by race, and ethnicity, and influenced by social determinants of health.



Source-Eurekalert