SARS-CoV-2 Infection and the Risk of New Chronic Conditions: Insights from a Longitudinal Population-Based Study

David De Ridder (), Anshu Uppal, Serguei Rouzinov, Julien Lamour, María-Eugenia Zaballa, Hélène Baysson, Stéphane Joost, Silvia Stringhini, Idris Guessous and Mayssam Nehme
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David De Ridder: Geographic Information Research and Analysis in Population Health (GIRAPH) Lab, Department of Community Health and Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, 1205 Geneva, Switzerland
Anshu Uppal: Unit of Population Epidemiology, Division of Primary Care Medicine, Geneva University Hospitals, 1205 Geneva, Switzerland
Serguei Rouzinov: Unit of Population Epidemiology, Division of Primary Care Medicine, Geneva University Hospitals, 1205 Geneva, Switzerland
Julien Lamour: Unit of Population Epidemiology, Division of Primary Care Medicine, Geneva University Hospitals, 1205 Geneva, Switzerland
María-Eugenia Zaballa: Unit of Population Epidemiology, Division of Primary Care Medicine, Geneva University Hospitals, 1205 Geneva, Switzerland
Hélène Baysson: Unit of Population Epidemiology, Division of Primary Care Medicine, Geneva University Hospitals, 1205 Geneva, Switzerland
Stéphane Joost: Geographic Information Research and Analysis in Population Health (GIRAPH) Lab, Department of Community Health and Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, 1205 Geneva, Switzerland
Silvia Stringhini: Unit of Population Epidemiology, Division of Primary Care Medicine, Geneva University Hospitals, 1205 Geneva, Switzerland
Idris Guessous: Geographic Information Research and Analysis in Population Health (GIRAPH) Lab, Department of Community Health and Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, 1205 Geneva, Switzerland
Mayssam Nehme: Unit of Population Epidemiology, Division of Primary Care Medicine, Geneva University Hospitals, 1205 Geneva, Switzerland

IJERPH, 2025, vol. 22, issue 2, 1-17

Abstract: Background: The post-acute impact of SARS-CoV-2 infections on chronic conditions remains poorly understood, particularly in general populations. Objectives: Our primary aim was to assess the association between SARS-CoV-2 infections and new diagnoses of chronic conditions. Our two secondary aims were to explore geographic variations in this association and to assess the association between SARS-CoV-2 infections and the exacerbation of pre-existing conditions. Methods: This longitudinal study used data from 8086 participants of the Specchio-COVID-19 cohort in the canton of Geneva, Switzerland (2021–2023). Mixed-effects logistic regressions and geographically weighted regressions adjusted for sociodemographic, socioeconomic, and healthcare access covariates were used to analyze self-reported SARS-CoV-2 infections, new diagnoses of chronic conditions, and the exacerbation of pre-existing ones. Results: Participants reporting a SARS-CoV-2 infection were more likely to be diagnosed with a new chronic condition compared to those who did not report an infection (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] = 2.15, 95% CI 1.43–3.23, adjusted p -value = 0.002). Notable geographic variations were identified in the association between SARS-CoV-2 infections and new diagnoses. While a positive association was initially observed between SARS-CoV-2 infections and exacerbation of pre-existing chronic conditions, this association did not remain significant after adjusting p -values for multiple comparisons. Conclusions: These findings contribute to understanding COVID-19’s post-acute impact on chronic conditions, highlighting the need for targeted health management approaches and calling for tailored public health strategies to address the pandemic’s long-term effects.

Keywords: SARS-CoV-2; sociodemographic determinants; chronic conditions; mixed level modeling; geographically weighted regression; spatio-temporal analysis (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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