Impact of Long SARS-CoV-2 Omicron Infection on the Health Care Burden: Comparative Case-Control Study Between Omicron and Pre-Omicron Waves

作者：Bernardo Valdivieso, Victoria López-Sánchez, Inmaculada Saurí, Javier Diaz, José Miguel Calderón, Marı́a-Eugenia Gas, Laura Lidon, Juliette Philibert, José Luís López-Hontangas, David Navarro, Llanos Cuenca, María José Forner, Josep Redón · 发表于：JMIR Public Health and Surveillance · 年份：2024 · DOI：10.2196/53580 · 被引用次数：7 · 研究领域：Long-Term Effects of COVID-19、SARS-CoV-2 and COVID-19 Research、COVID-19 Clinical Research Studies

BACKGROUND: Following the initial acute phase of COVID-19, health care resource use has escalated among individuals with SARS-CoV-2 infection. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to compare new diagnoses of long COVID and the demand for health services in the general population after the Omicron wave with those observed during the pre-Omicron waves, using similar assessment protocols for both periods and to analyze the influence of vaccination. METHODS: This matched retrospective case-control study included patients of both sexes diagnosed with acute SARS-CoV-2 infection using reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction or antigen tests in the hospital microbiology laboratory during the pandemic period regardless of whether the patients were hospitalized. We included patients of all ages from 2 health care departments that cover 604,000 subjects. The population was stratified into 2 groups, youths (<18 years) and adults (≥18 years). Patients were followed-up for 6 months after SARS-CoV-2 infection. Previous vaccination, new diagnoses, and the use of health care resources were recorded. Patients were compared with controls selected using a prospective score matched for age, sex, and the Charlson index. RESULTS: A total of 41,577 patients with a history of prior COVID-19 infection were included, alongside an equivalent number of controls. This cohort encompassed 33,249 (80%) adults aged ≥18 years and 8328 (20%) youths aged <18 years. Our analysis identified 40 new diagnoses during ...