Long COVID across SARS-CoV-2 variants, lineages, and sublineages
Sergio Padilla,
Christian Ledesma,
Javier García-Abellán,
José Alberto García,
Marta Fernández-González,
Alba de la Rica,
Antonio Galiana,
Félix Gutiérrez,
Mar Masiá
Affiliations
Sergio Padilla
Infectious Diseases Unit, Hospital General Universitario de Elche, Alicante, Spain; Universidad Miguel Hernández de Elche, San Juan de Alicante, Spain; CIBER de Enfermedades Infecciosas, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
Christian Ledesma
Infectious Diseases Unit, Hospital General Universitario de Elche, Alicante, Spain
Javier García-Abellán
Infectious Diseases Unit, Hospital General Universitario de Elche, Alicante, Spain; Universidad Miguel Hernández de Elche, San Juan de Alicante, Spain; CIBER de Enfermedades Infecciosas, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
José Alberto García
Infectious Diseases Unit, Hospital General Universitario de Elche, Alicante, Spain; CIBER de Enfermedades Infecciosas, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
Marta Fernández-González
Infectious Diseases Unit, Hospital General Universitario de Elche, Alicante, Spain; CIBER de Enfermedades Infecciosas, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
Alba de la Rica
Microbiology Service, Hospital General Universitario de Elche, Alicante, Spain
Antonio Galiana
Microbiology Service, Hospital General Universitario de Elche, Alicante, Spain
Félix Gutiérrez
Infectious Diseases Unit, Hospital General Universitario de Elche, Alicante, Spain; Universidad Miguel Hernández de Elche, San Juan de Alicante, Spain; CIBER de Enfermedades Infecciosas, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain; Corresponding author
Mar Masiá
Infectious Diseases Unit, Hospital General Universitario de Elche, Alicante, Spain; Universidad Miguel Hernández de Elche, San Juan de Alicante, Spain; CIBER de Enfermedades Infecciosas, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain; Corresponding author
Summary: This prospective study aimed to determine the prevalence of long COVID in patients hospitalized for SARS-CoV-2 infection from March 2020 to July 2022 and assess the impact of different viral lineages. A total of 2,524 patients were followed up for 12 months, with persistent symptoms reported in 35.2% at one month, decreasing thereafter. Omicron variant patients initially showed higher symptom intensity, but this trend diminished over time. Certain viral lineages, notably Delta lineages AY.126 and AY.43, and Omicron sublineages BA.1.17, BA.2.56, and BA.5.1, consistently correlated with more severe symptoms. Overall, long COVID prevalence and severity were similar across SARS-CoV-2 variants. Specific lineages may influence post-COVID sequelae persistence and severity.
