Loading...
The symptoms of long Covid, defined as symptoms persisting for 3 months or longer after SARS-CoV-2 infection, have changed as the virus has evolved. To explore this phenomenon further, researchers conducted a meta-analysis of 35 observational studies that involved 160,000 patients in 19 countries. The investigators compared pre-Omicron SARS-CoV-2 variants with Omicron and its descendant viruses.
The overall prevalence of long Covid was significantly higher in the pre-Omicron era (36%) than in the Omicron era (23%).
Fatigue and malaise were the most common symptoms in both the pre-Omicron and Omicron eras and persisted in as many as 30% of patients for longer than 6 months.
Symptoms in the pre-Omicron era included dyspnea and anosmia…