Female sex, older age, higher body mass index (BMI), smoking, preexisting comorbidities, and previous hospitalization or ICU admission are risk factors significantly associated with developing post−COVID-19 condition (PCC), according to a systematic review and meta-analysis. SARS-CoV-2 vaccination with 2 doses was associated with a lower risk of PCC, the researchers report.
Studies published through Dec. 5, 2022, yielded these results regarding risk factors for PCC: “The initial search yielded 5,334 records of which 255 articles underwent full-text evaluation, which identified 41 articles and a total of 860,783 patients that were included. The findings of the meta-analysis showed that female sex (OR, 1.56; 95% CI, 1.41-1.73), age (OR, 1.21; 95% CI, 1.11-1.33), high BMI (OR, 1.15; 95% CI, 1.08-1.23), and smoking (OR, 1.10; 95% CI, 1.07-1.13) were associated with an increased risk of developing PCC. In addition, the presence of comorbidities and previous hospitalization or ICU admission were found to be associated with high risk of PCC (OR, 2.48; 95% CI, 1.97-3.13 and OR, 2.37; 95% CI, 2.18-2.56, respectively). Patients who had been vaccinated against COVID-19 with 2 doses had a significantly lower risk of developing PCC compared with patients who were not vaccinated (OR, 0.57; 95% CI, 0.43-0.76).”
The authors conclude, “Given these results, a holistic approach and integrated care pathways may enable suitable support for patients who develop PCC and may allow physicians to be better prepared to care for patients at high risk of developing PCC. Moreover, in addition to preventing and diminishing the acute phase of the infection, COVID-19 vaccination may protect against PCC, giving vaccination additional evidence of benefit.”