Prevalence of Post COVID-19 Condition in Primary Care: A Cross Sectional Study

Patricia Montenegro, Irene Moral, Alicia Puy, Esther Cordero, Noa Chantada, Lluis Cuixart and Carlos Brotons
Additional contact information
Patricia Montenegro: Primary Heath Care Center Sarrià, 08017 Barcelona, Spain
Irene Moral: Teaching Unit in Family Medicine UDACEBA, 08025 Barcelona, Spain
Alicia Puy: Teaching Unit in Family Medicine UDACEBA, 08025 Barcelona, Spain
Esther Cordero: Teaching Unit in Family Medicine UDACEBA, 08025 Barcelona, Spain
Noa Chantada: Teaching Unit in Family Medicine UDACEBA, 08025 Barcelona, Spain
Lluis Cuixart: Teaching Unit in Family Medicine UDACEBA, 08025 Barcelona, Spain
Carlos Brotons: Teaching Unit in Family Medicine UDACEBA, 08025 Barcelona, Spain

IJERPH, 2022, vol. 19, issue 3, 1-8

Abstract: Background: The COVID-19 pandemic is a major challenge for health systems, citizens and policymakers worldwide. It is not known how many people are affected with longer term sequelae after acute COVID-19 and a wide range of prevalence estimates have been reported with a high heterogeneity between studies. Methods: We designed a cross-sectional study to estimate the prevalence of post COVID-19 conditions in a community setting. We selected a random sample of 579 individuals from three different primary health care centers and collected information on symptoms through a standardized questionnaire. Results: Our main study finding was an overall population prevalence of 14.34% (95% CI 11.58–17.46%) of post COVID-19. Only 9% of patients were hospitalized in our study. Prevalence was higher in women than men (15.63% versus 13.06%) and the most frequent persistent symptoms were fatigue (44.6%), smell impairment (27.7%) and dyspnea (24.09%). Conclusions: The prevalence of post COVID-19 condition was lower than expected according to other studies published in the literature. The prevalence was higher in women than men, and the most frequent persistent symptoms were fatigue, smell impairment, and dyspnea.

Keywords: post-acute COVID-19 syndrome; primary health care; COVID-19; general practice; public health (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

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