Table 2.
Summary of post-COVID-19 symptoms at 1-, 3- and 6-month follow-up
| All | Boosted | Primed | Unvaccinated | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month 1 | |||||
| n | 328 | 87 | 86 | 155 | |
| Mean (SD) | 3.1 (3.6) | 2.0 (2.3) | 3.1 (3.5) | 3.7 (4.1) | ** |
| ≥ 3 symptoms | 130 (39.6%) | 26 (29.9%) | 36 (41.9%) | 68 (43.9%) | |
| General symptoms | |||||
| ≥ 1 symptom | 154 (47.0%) | 35 (40.2%) | 44 (51.2%) | 75 (48.4%) | |
| Tiredness or fatigue | 135 (41.2%) | 28 (32.2%) | 42 (48.8%) | 65 (41.9%) | |
| Symptoms that get worse after physical or mental activities | 50 (15.2%) | 8 (9.2%) | 10 (11.6%) | 32 (20.6%) | * |
| Fever | 1 (0.3%) | 0 (0.0%) | 0 (0.0%) | 1 (0.7%) | |
| General pain/discomfort | 50 (15.2%) | 5 (5.8%) | 15 (17.4%) | 30 (19.4%) | * |
| Respiratory and cardiac | |||||
| ≥ 1 symptom | 142 (43.3%) | 34 (39.1%) | 34 (39.5%) | 74 (47.7%) | |
| Difficulty breathing or shortness of breath | 58 (17.7%) | 13 (14.9%) | 13 (15.1%) | 32 (20.6%) | |
| Cough | 86 (26.2%) | 21 (24.1%) | 19 (22.1%) | 46 (29.7%) | |
| Chest or stomach pain | 32 (9.8%) | 4 (4.6%) | 10 (11.6%) | 18 (11.6%) | |
| Fast-beating or pounding heart (also known as heart palpitations) | 38 (11.6%) | 6 (6.9%) | 11 (12.8%) | 21 (13.5%) | |
| Neurologic | |||||
| ≥ 1 symptom | 161 (49.1%) | 38 (43.7%) | 45 (52.3%) | 78 (50.3%) | |
| Change in smell or taste | 51 (15.5%) | 5 (5.8%) | 14 (16.3%) | 32 (20.6%) | ** |
| Headache | 67 (20.4%) | 10 (11.5%) | 18 (20.9%) | 39 (25.2%) | * |
| Dizziness on standing (lightheadedness) | 45 (13.7%) | 7 (8.1%) | 13 (15.1%) | 25 (16.1%) | |
| Difficulty thinking or concentrating (sometimes referred to as “brain fog”) | 86 (26.2%) | 17 (19.5%) | 26 (30.2%) | 43 (27.7%) | |
| Pins-and-needles feeling | 24 (7.3%) | 3 (3.5%) | 7 (8.1%) | 14 (9.0%) | |
| Sleep problems | 81 (24.7%) | 14 (16.1%) | 21 (24.4%) | 46 (29.7%) | |
| Mood changes | 36 (11.0%) | 6 (6.9%) | 7 (8.1%) | 23 (14.8%) | |
| Memory loss | 38 (11.6%) | 4 (4.6%) | 7 (8.1%) | 27 (17.4%) | ** |
| Other | |||||
| ≥ 1 symptom | 106 (32.3%) | 19 (21.8%) | 28 (32.6%) | 59 (38.1%) | * |
| Diarrhea | 23 (7.0%) | 3 (3.5%) | 3 (3.5%) | 17 (11.0%) | * |
| Joint or muscle pain | 66 (20.1%) | 10 (11.5%) | 18 (20.9%) | 38 (24.5%) | |
| Rash | 11 (3.4%) | 2 (2.3%) | 1 (1.2%) | 8 (5.2%) | |
| Changes in period cycles | 28 (11.6%) | 4 (6.9%) | 8 (11.8%) | 16 (13.8%) | |
| Month 3 | |||||
| n | 292 | 73 | 77 | 142 | |
| Mean (SD) | 2.7 (3.5) | 1.4 (1.9) | 2.8 (3.5) | 3.3 (4.0) | ** |
| ≥ 3 symptoms | 109 (37.3%) | 17 (23.3%) | 32 (41.6%) | 60 (42.3%) | * |
| General symptoms | |||||
| ≥ 1 symptom | 121 (41.4%) | 24 (32.9%) | 32 (41.6%) | 65 (45.8%) | |
| Tiredness or fatigue | 108 (37.0%) | 21 (28.8%) | 31 (40.3%) | 56 (39.4%) | |
| Symptoms that get worse after physical or mental activities | 36 (12.3%) | 5 (6.9%) | 11 (14.3%) | 20 (14.1%) | |
| Fever | 1 (0.3%) | 0 (0.0%) | 0 (0.0%) | 1 (0.7%) | |
| General pain/discomfort | 43 (14.7%) | 3 (4.1%) | 12 (15.6%) | 28 (19.7%) | ** |
| Respiratory and cardiac | |||||
| ≥ 1 symptom | 83 (28.4%) | 15 (20.5%) | 23 (29.9%) | 45 (31.7%) | |
| Difficulty breathing or shortness of breath | 42 (14.4%) | 5 (6.9%) | 15 (19.5%) | 22 (15.5%) | |
| Cough | 38 (13.0%) | 8 (11.0%) | 9 (11.7%) | 21 (14.8%) | |
| Chest or stomach pain | 17 (5.8%) | 2 (2.7%) | 5 (6.5%) | 10 (7.0%) | |
| Fast-beating or pounding heart (also known as heart palpitations) | 29 (9.9%) | 3 (4.1%) | 9 (11.7%) | 17 (12.0%) | |
| Neurologic | |||||
| ≥ 1 symptom | 140 (47.9%) | 26 (35.6%) | 39 (50.6%) | 75 (52.8%) | * |
| Change in smell or taste | 35 (12.0%) | 5 (6.9%) | 9 (11.7%) | 21 (14.8%) | |
| Headache | 51 (17.5%) | 6 (8.2%) | 14 (18.2%) | 31 (21.8%) | * |
| Dizziness on standing (lightheadedness) | 43 (14.7%) | 3 (4.1%) | 14 (18.2%) | 26 (18.3%) | ** |
| Difficulty thinking or concentrating (sometimes referred to as “brain fog”) | 70 (24.0%) | 11 (15.1%) | 15 (19.5%) | 44 (31.0%) | * |
| Pins-and-needles feeling | 28 (9.6%) | 4 (5.5%) | 9 (11.7%) | 15 (10.6%) | |
| Sleep problems | 63 (21.6%) | 8 (11.0%) | 17 (22.1%) | 38 (26.8%) | * |
| Mood changes | 31 (10.6%) | 2 (2.7%) | 6 (7.8%) | 23 (16.2%) | ** |
| Memory loss | 35 (12.0%) | 0 (0.0%) | 9 (11.7%) | 26 (18.3%) | *** |
| Other | |||||
| ≥ 1 symptom | 88 (30.1%) | 16 (21.9%) | 25 (32.5%) | 47 (33.1%) | |
| Diarrhea | 18 (6.2%) | 2 (2.7%) | 5 (6.5%) | 11 (7.8%) | |
| Joint or muscle pain | 53 (18.2%) | 7 (9.6%) | 15 (19.5%) | 31 (21.8%) | |
| Rash | 9 (3.1%) | 4 (5.5%) | 0 (0.0%) | 5 (3.5%) | |
| Changes in period cycles | 36 (16.7%) | 5 (10.4%) | 13 (22.0%) | 18 (16.7%) | |
| Month 6 | |||||
| n | 260 | 67 | 72 | 121 | |
| Mean (SD) | 2.7 (3.7) | 1.1 (1.8) | 2.8 (3.6) | 3.4 (4.2) | *** |
| ≥ 3 symptoms | 91 (35.0%) | 10 (14.9%) | 27 (37.5%) | 54 (44.6%) | *** |
| General symptoms | |||||
| ≥ 1 symptom | 112 (43.1%) | 16 (23.9%) | 34 (47.2%) | 62 (51.2%) | ** |
| Tiredness or fatigue | 101 (38.8%) | 15 (22.4%) | 32 (44.4%) | 54 (44.6%) | ** |
| Symptoms that get worse after physical or mental activities | 28 (10.8%) | 1 (1.5%) | 8 (11.1%) | 19 (15.7%) | ** |
| Fever | 3 (1.2%) | 0 (0.0%) | 1 (1.4%) | 2 (1.7%) | |
| General pain/discomfort | 36 (13.8%) | 2 (3.0%) | 10 (13.9%) | 24 (19.8%) | ** |
| Respiratory and cardiac | |||||
| ≥ 1 symptom | 68 (26.2%) | 4 (6.0%) | 18 (25.0%) | 46 (38.0%) | *** |
| Difficulty breathing or shortness of breath | 32 (12.3%) | 3 (4.5%) | 7 (9.7%) | 22 (18.2%) | * |
| Cough | 32 (12.3%) | 0 (0.0%) | 9 (12.5%) | 23 (19.0%) | *** |
| Chest or stomach pain | 17 (6.5%) | 1 (1.5%) | 4 (5.6%) | 12 (9.9%) | |
| Fast-beating or pounding heart (also known as heart palpitations) | 29 (11.2%) | 3 (4.5%) | 7 (9.7%) | 19 (15.7%) | |
| Neurologic | |||||
| ≥ 1 symptom | 121 (46.5%) | 21 (31.3%) | 34 (47.2%) | 66 (54.5%) | ** |
| Change in smell or taste | 27 (10.4%) | 4 (6.0%) | 8 (11.1%) | 15 (12.4%) | |
| Headache | 50 (19.2%) | 5 (7.5%) | 16 (22.2%) | 29 (24.0%) | * |
| Dizziness on standing (lightheadedness) | 38 (14.6%) | 7 (10.4%) | 7 (9.7%) | 24 (19.8%) | |
| Difficulty thinking or concentrating (sometimes referred to as “brain fog”) | 58 (22.3%) | 5 (7.5%) | 19 (26.4%) | 34 (28.1%) | ** |
| Pins-and-needles feeling | 27 (10.4%) | 3 (4.5%) | 8 (11.1%) | 16 (13.2%) | |
| Sleep problems | 52 (20.0%) | 3 (4.5%) | 16 (22.2%) | 33 (27.3%) | *** |
| Mood changes | 32 (12.3%) | 3 (4.5%) | 9 (12.5%) | 20 (16.5%) | * |
| Memory loss | 37 (14.2%) | 2 (3.0%) | 12 (16.7%) | 23 (19.0%) | ** |
| Other | |||||
| ≥ 1 symptom | 76 (29.2%) | 14 (20.9%) | 23 (31.9%) | 39 (32.2%) | |
| Diarrhea | 14 (5.4%) | 1 (1.5%) | 3 (4.2%) | 10 (8.3%) | |
| Joint or muscle pain | 38 (14.6%) | 6 (9.0%) | 12 (16.7%) | 20 (16.5%) | |
| Rash | 5 (1.9%) | 1 (1.5%) | 0 (0.0%) | 4 (3.3%) | |
| Changes in period cycles | 32 (16.8%) | 8 (18.6%) | 11 (20.0%) | 13 (14.0%) | |
*P < 0.05; **P < 0.01; ***P < 0.001 for the statistical tests of comparisons between Boosted cohort, Primed cohort, and Unvaccinated cohort