Scientific Reports (Feb 2025)
Factors associated with reduction in quality of life after SARS-CoV-2 infection
- Christian Neumann,
- Tim J. Hartung,
- Klara Boje,
- Thomas Bahmer,
- Julian Keil,
- Wolfgang Lieb,
- Katrin Franzpoetter,
- Julius Welzel,
- Irina Chaplinskaya-Sobol,
- Matthias Endres,
- Johanna Geritz,
- Karl Georg Haeusler,
- Peter Heuschmann,
- Andreas Hinz,
- Sina Hopff,
- Anna Horn,
- Carolin Nuernberger,
- Lena Schmidbauer,
- Michael Krawczak,
- Anne-Kathrin Ruß,
- Lilian Krist,
- Thomas Keil,
- Jennifer Kudelka,
- Corina Maetzler,
- Anja Mehnert-Theuerkauf,
- Felipe A. Montellano,
- Caroline Morbach,
- Sein Schmidt,
- Jan Heyckendorf,
- Flo Steigerwald,
- Stefan Stoerk,
- Christina Lemhoefer,
- Stefan Schreiber,
- Carsten Finke,
- Walter Maetzler
Affiliations
- Christian Neumann
- Neurology Department, University Medical Center Schleswig-Holstein, Campus Kiel
- Tim J. Hartung
- Department of Neurology and Experimental Neurology, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin
- Klara Boje
- Department of General Psychology I and Biological Psychology, Christian-Albrechts-Universität Zu Kiel
- Thomas Bahmer
- Internal Medicine Department I, Leibniz Lung Clinic, University Hospital Schleswig Holstein, Campus Kiel
- Julian Keil
- Department of General Psychology I and Biological Psychology, Christian-Albrechts-Universität Zu Kiel
- Wolfgang Lieb
- Institute for Epidemiology, Christian-Albrechts-University Kiel
- Katrin Franzpoetter
- Institute for Epidemiology, Christian-Albrechts-University Kiel
- Julius Welzel
- Neurology Department, University Medical Center Schleswig-Holstein, Campus Kiel
- Irina Chaplinskaya-Sobol
- Department of Medical Informatics, University Medical Center Goettingen
- Matthias Endres
- Department of Neurology and Experimental Neurology, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin
- Johanna Geritz
- Neurology Department, University Medical Center Schleswig-Holstein, Campus Kiel
- Karl Georg Haeusler
- Department of Neurology, University of Ulm
- Peter Heuschmann
- Institute of Clinical Epidemiology and Biometry, University of Wuerzburg
- Andreas Hinz
- Department of Medical Psychology and Medical Sociology, University Medical Center Leipzig
- Sina Hopff
- Department I of Internal Medicine, Center for Integrated Oncology Cologne, University of Cologne, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne
- Anna Horn
- Institute of Clinical Epidemiology and Biometry, University of Wuerzburg
- Carolin Nuernberger
- Institute of Clinical Epidemiology and Biometry, University of Wuerzburg
- Lena Schmidbauer
- Institute of Clinical Epidemiology and Biometry, University of Wuerzburg
- Michael Krawczak
- Institute of Medical Informatics and Statistics, Kiel University, University Medical Center Schleswig-Holstein Campus Kiel
- Anne-Kathrin Ruß
- Institute for Epidemiology, Christian-Albrechts-University Kiel
- Lilian Krist
- Institute of Social Medicine, Epidemiology and Health Economics, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin
- Thomas Keil
- Department Clinical Research and Epidemiology, Comprehensive Heart Failure Center, University Hospital Wuerzburg
- Jennifer Kudelka
- Neurology Department, University Medical Center Schleswig-Holstein, Campus Kiel
- Corina Maetzler
- Neurology Department, University Medical Center Schleswig-Holstein, Campus Kiel
- Anja Mehnert-Theuerkauf
- Department of Medical Psychology and Medical Sociology, University Medical Center Leipzig
- Felipe A. Montellano
- Department of Neurology, University of Ulm
- Caroline Morbach
- Department Clinical Research and Epidemiology, Comprehensive Heart Failure Center, University Hospital Wuerzburg
- Sein Schmidt
- Clinical Study Center, Berlin Institute of Health at Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin
- Jan Heyckendorf
- Internal Medicine Department I, Leibniz Lung Clinic, University Hospital Schleswig Holstein, Campus Kiel
- Flo Steigerwald
- Department of Neurology and Experimental Neurology, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin
- Stefan Stoerk
- Department Clinical Research and Epidemiology, Comprehensive Heart Failure Center, University Hospital Wuerzburg
- Christina Lemhoefer
- Institute of Physical and Rehabilitation Medicine, Jena University Hospital/Friedrich-Schiller-University Jena
- Stefan Schreiber
- Internal Medicine Department I, Leibniz Lung Clinic, University Hospital Schleswig Holstein, Campus Kiel
- Carsten Finke
- Department of Neurology and Experimental Neurology, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin
- Walter Maetzler
- Neurology Department, University Medical Center Schleswig-Holstein, Campus Kiel
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-91388-z
- Journal volume & issue
-
Vol. 15,
no. 1
pp. 1 – 11
Abstract
Abstract Long-term changes in health-related quality of life (HrQoL) after SARS-CoV-2 infection are common, but their causes and consequences are poorly understood. This prospective, population-based study examined associations between HrQoL and 49 demographic and clinical variables. HrQoL was assessed using the European Quality-of-Life-5-Dimensions-5-Level-Version in 3,475 participants (56% female; aged 18–88 years) approximately 9 months (baseline) and 26 months (follow-up) after their initial infection. Results were compared with the demographic and clinical variables using recursive feature elimination and random forest regression analyses. A statistically significant improvement in HrQoL was observed during the observation period. At baseline, 39% of the variance in HrQoL was explained by fatigue, muscle pain, number of remaining symptoms (RS), perceived stress, and age. At follow-up, fatigue, RS, perceived stress, muscle and joint pain, and age explained 54% of the variance in HrQoL. Changes in HrQoL were associated with changes in fatigue, RS, and perceived stress, meaning that if these decreased from baseline to follow-up, then HrQoL was improved. However, it was not possible to predict whether an individual’s HrQoL would improve or worsen 1 year later based on baseline variable scores. The aforementioned symptoms are specifically associated with impairment in the population’s usual activities.
Keywords
