Table 1.
Participant Characteristics (Number, Mean± Standard Deviation or range)
| PASC, n=30 | Controls, n=27 | P Value | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Men / Women | 10 / 20 | 11 / 16 | 0.56a |
| Age (Years, range) | 42.7 ± 12.2 (21–63) | 43.8 ± 12.2 (25–68) | 0.73b |
| Body Mass Index | 31.4 ± 8.8 | 28.0 ± 7.5 | 0.12b |
| Index of Social Position d | 30.4 ± 13.8 | 28.9 ± 14.0 | 0.69b |
| Education | |||
| Graduate / Undergraduate / Some College / High School | 8 / 9 / 8 / 5 | 13 / 8 / 3 / 3 | 0.28a |
| Race/Ethnicity | |||
| White / Hispanic / Asian / Black / Biracial | 19 / 1 / 0 / 9 / 1 | 9 / 4 / 2 / 12 / 0 | 0.07a |
| History of Substance Use | |||
| Past Month Alcohol | 24 | 22 | 0.95a |
| Lifetime Alcohol | 24 | 22 | 0.95a |
| Past Month Tobacco | 1 | 1 | 1c |
| Lifetime Tobacco | 10 | 10 | 1a |
| Past Month Marijuana e | 4 | 2 | 0.67c |
| Lifetime Marijuana | 15 | 6 | 0.03 a |
| Comorbid Risk Factors for COVID-19 | |||
| Hypertension | 6 | 4 | 0.26c |
| Diabetes | 4 | 0 | 0.11c |
| Overweight / Obese | 9 / 14 | 6 / 9 | 0.96a |
| COPD f | 5 | 0 | 0.05c |
Participants were recruited from the local community using online advertisements (Craigslist, Facebook Long-COVID support groups), flyers, word of mouth, and referrals from healthcare providers and post-COVID clinics. Phone screens were completed for 169 participants. Of those, 61 provided written informed consent and completed the in-person screening visit. Three were no longer eligible after the screening visit and one declined to continue participating. Inclusion criteria: 1) adults between 18–75 years; 2) ability to provide informed consent; 3) documented diagnosis of COVID-19 >6 weeks ago OR no history of COVID-19 with a negative antigen test at the screening visit. Exclusion criteria: 1) any confounding neurological, psychiatric, or medical disorders; 2) any current/past severe substance use disorder (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders 5), except for tobacco/cannabis; 3) pregnancy/breast-feeding. All participants underwent a structured medical history, physical/neurological examination, and urine toxicology screening. All provided written informed consent and the protocol was approved by the University of Maryland, Baltimore Institutional Review Board. Demographic data were compared between groups using a Chi-Square test, b T-Test, or c Fisher’s Exact Test-tests as appropriate. d Index of Social Position (ISP) was calculated using the Hollingshead Four Factor Index of Socioeconomic Status (4) e Includes two PASC that used cannabidiol. f Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease