Survey shows prolonged illness from COVID-19, even among young adults
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Almost 20% of young adults without a chronic medical condition did not return to their usual state of health within 2 to 3 weeks following SARS-CoV-2 infection, survey results published in MMWR showed.
The authors of the analysis said the results suggested COVID-19 may cause long-term illness, even among young adults without chronic conditions.
“Public health messaging should target populations that might not perceive COVID-19 illness as being severe or prolonged, including young adults and those without chronic underlying medical conditions,” the authors wrote. “Preventive measures, including social distancing, frequent handwashing, and the consistent and correct use of face coverings in public, should be strongly encouraged to slow the spread of SARS-CoV-2.”
The researchers conducted phone interviews with a randomized sample of 292 adults who tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 for the first time. They initiated the interviews 14 to 21 days after the patients’ testing date and asked about general demographic characteristics, chronic medical conditions, symptoms at time of testing, whether their symptoms were resolved by the interview date and if they had returned to their normal health state at the interview date.
Of the patients interviewed, 94% reported having one or more symptoms at the time of testing, and 35% of symptomatic respondents reported not returning to their normal health state by the date of their interview. Previous survey results reported by the same team of investigators also showed that one-third of all symptomatic patients reported not returning to their baseline health 14 to 21 days after testing positive for the virus.
According to the current report, 43% of interviewees who reported cough, 35% of patients who reported fatigue and 29% of patients who reported shortness of breath at their test date continued to experience these symptoms at the interview date.
The authors reported that 19% (n = 9) of respondents aged 18 to 34 years with no chronic medical reported not having returned to their usual state of health within 14 to 21 days.
The noted limitations of the study included potential differences among survey nonrespondents and respondents, the inability to record symptoms that resolved before the patients’ test date or occurred after the test date, and the possibility of recall bias because of the study’s reliance on self-reporting.
“These findings have important implications for understanding the full effects of COVID-19, even in persons with milder outpatient illness,” they wrote. “Notably, convalescence can be prolonged even in young adults without chronic medical conditions, potentially leading to prolonged absence from work, studies, or other activities.”
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