Association of long COVID with health-related Quality of Life and Social Participation in Germany: Finding from an online-based cross-sectional survey
Dominik Schröder,
Stephanie Heinemann,
Gloria Heesen,
Eva Hummers,
Tim Schmachtenberg,
Alexandra Dopfer-Jablonka,
Kai Vahldiek,
Frank Klawonn,
Sandra Klawitter,
Sandra Steffens,
Marie Mikuteit,
Jacqueline Niewolik,
Frank Müller
Affiliations
Dominik Schröder
Department of General Practice, University Medical Center, Göttingen, Germany; Corresponding author.
Stephanie Heinemann
Department of General Practice, University Medical Center, Göttingen, Germany; Department of Geriatrics, University Medical Center, Göttingen, Germany
Gloria Heesen
Department of General Practice, University Medical Center, Göttingen, Germany
Eva Hummers
Department of General Practice, University Medical Center, Göttingen, Germany
Tim Schmachtenberg
Department of General Practice, University Medical Center, Göttingen, Germany; Department of Rheumatology and Immunology, Hannover Medical School, Germany
Alexandra Dopfer-Jablonka
Department of Rheumatology and Immunology, Hannover Medical School, Germany; German Center for Infection Research (DZIF), partner site Hannover-Braunschweig, Germany
Kai Vahldiek
Department of Computer Science, Ostfalia University of Applied Sciences, Wolfenbuettel, Germany
Frank Klawonn
Department of Computer Science, Ostfalia University of Applied Sciences, Wolfenbuettel, Germany; Biostatistics Group, Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research, Braunschweig, Germany
Sandra Klawitter
Department of Computer Science, Ostfalia University of Applied Sciences, Wolfenbuettel, Germany
Sandra Steffens
Department of Rheumatology and Immunology, Hannover Medical School, Germany; Deans' Office, Curricular Development, Hannover Medical School, Germany
Marie Mikuteit
Department of Rheumatology and Immunology, Hannover Medical School, Germany; Deans' Office, Curricular Development, Hannover Medical School, Germany
Jacqueline Niewolik
Department of Rheumatology and Immunology, Hannover Medical School, Germany
Frank Müller
Department of General Practice, University Medical Center, Göttingen, Germany; Department of Family Medicine, College of Human Medicine, Michigan State University, Grand Rapids, Michigan, USA
Purpose: This study aims to examine the health-related Quality of Life (hrQoL) and social participation in participants with Long COVID compared to participants without symptoms after COVID-19 and participants with no prior SARS-CoV-2 infection. Methods: A cross-sectional online survey was conducted in Germany. The non-random sample consists of participants 18 years or older. Participants were divided in three groups: Lg COVID with a prior SARS-CoV-2 infection and new or persistent symptoms 28 days after infection, ExCOVID with a prior SARS-CoV-2 infection and without new or persistent symptoms after 28 days, and NoCOVID when participants had no prior SARS-CoV-2 infection. EQ-5D-3L was used as hrQoL measure and the Index for the Assessment of Health Impairments (IMET) to reflect social participation. Descriptive and inferential statistics were performed. Results: A total of 3188 participants were included in the analysis (1421 Lg COVID, 260 ExCOVID, 1507 NoCOVID). Lg COVID was associated with the lowest EQ-5D-3L index values (p < 0.001), Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) scores (p < 0.001), and IMET (p < 0.001) scores followed by NoCOVID and ExCOVID. After adjusting for sociodemographic and medical conditions in a multivariable model Long COVID was still associated with lower hrQoL compared to NoCOVID (p < 0.001). About 10% of Lg COVID participants showed no health impairments in all EQ-5D dimensions while 51.1% of NoCOVID and 60% of ExCOVID participants showed no health impairments. Conclusion: This study highlights the impairments of persons with Long COVID on hrQoL and social participation compared to individuals without Long COVID in Germany. Trial registration: German Clinical Trial Registry, DRKS00026007.
