Finding from a new study published in the Canadian Medical Association Journal show long COVID poses a "substantial" burden on the healthcare system. .Researchers say they found "significantly higher rates of health care use after a positive SARS-CoV-2 PCR test" several weeks and months after infection compared to those who tested negative. .In analyzing 10 individual surveys and reviewing the medical records of 1.1 million patients with a COVID-19 diagnosis before the emergence of Omicron, 7.8%-17% had symptoms 12 weeks after infection, with 1.2%-4.8% reporting debilitating symptoms. . Post-acute health care burden after SARS-CoV-2 infection: a retrospective cohort study .The study involved a cohort of community-dwelling adults in Ontario who took a PCR test between Jan. 1, 2020 and Mar. 31, 2021. The study linked the PCR test results to healthcare encounters, including outpatient visits, hospital-based visits, and home care visits. .During that time, researchers said more than 11 million PCR tests were completed and of the 3,631,040 people who were included in the study, 268,521, or 7.4%, had a positive PCR test result. .It was found that "mean days in hospital per-person-year increased 47% and 53% respectively, eight weeks or more after infection for test-positive females and males." .Mean days in long-term care also increased for both test-positive females and males, however, home care visits did increase for test-positive females but decreased for males. ."Although most of the people with SARS-CoV-2 infection had little-to-no change in health care use, a small but important subset of people experienced large increases in their rate of health care use: at the 99th percentile, test-positive females had about seven additional days in hospital per-person-year and test-positive males had about nine more days in hospital than their test-negative counterparts at the 99th percentile.".The findings suggest "a subset of people experience substantial burden of morbidity well after a SARS-CoV-2 infection." ."Long-term morbidity can be caused by SARS-CoV-2 infection," reads the CMAJ article. ."In the first pandemic wave, as many as 27% of people admitted to hospital died or were readmitted within 60 days, and as many as 70% of people who were not admitted to hospital reported at least one symptom four months after infection. By the World Health Organization (WHO) definition, about 10%–20% of those infected acquire a post-COVID-19 condition (long COVID).".Although risk seems to be influenced by a number of factors — severity of infection, type of variant, vaccination status, etc. — researchers say anyone who contracts COVID-19 carries some risk of long COVID symptoms. .Researchers suggest the study will help heath authorities, policy makers, and clinicians develop "a clear understanding of the impact of long COVID on use of health care resources" to better plan for future needs..Based on the number of recent infections — an estimated 45% of Canadians were infected with COVID-19 in early 2022 — researchers said their findings indicate there will be a substantial demand on the healthcare system in the next year. ."In the next year alone, 1% of these people with recent infections will likely be admitted to hospital about one week longer than similar people without infection, consuming 6.6% of pre pandemic hospital bed-days, when almost 20% of hospitals already averaged more than 100% annual occupancy rates," said the report. .Family physicians will also see a drastic increase in outpatient encounters with patients. This, along with the growing need for long-term care beds and critical staffing shortages, will contribute to already intense pressure on the healthcare system. ."Such increased demand will require substantial population-level restructuring and investment of resources," concluded researchers. ."The burden of health care use after a positive SARS-CoV-2 PCR test is substantial and has important health policy implications.".Researchers suggest "better understanding is needed regarding the causes for and specific areas of increased post-acute health care use" after infection, but added their findings could be helpful for stakeholders "to prepare for health care demand caused by long COVID." .Although better understanding is needed regarding the causes for and specific areas of increased post-acute health care use after SARS-CoV-2 infection, as well as the impact of novel variants and treatments, stakeholders may use these findings to prepare for health care demand caused by long COVID.
