A new study published in the American Journal of Industrial Medicine found that more than one in ten U.S. healthcare personnel (HCP) reported moderate or severe long COVID symptoms at three and six months after infection. CIDRAP has the news.

Older age, female sex, multiple underlying health conditions, and multiple COVID infections were associated with greater odds of persistent symptoms.

The study looked at HCP across 17 states who tested positive for COVID from August 2022 to May 2024. The participants completed surveys at three months and six months and reported on symptoms such as fatigue, respiratory symptoms, dizziness, and cognitive issues. 11.3% of the 1,496 participants who completed both surveys reported at least one persistent symptom at both three and six months. Fatigue was the most commonly reported symptom.

An even higher percentage of participants reported moderate or severe symptoms at one, but not both, times: 19.3% at three months and 27.5% at six months. Older age was also associated with greater odds of persistent symptoms. Those with at least two underlying health conditions also had two and a half times greater odds of ongoing symptoms, and a confirmed COVID infection in the previous year was associated with nearly two times greater odds.