Table 1.
Predictors of Persistent Symptoms Beyond 4 Weeks After Initial Infection Among Healthcare Workers, by Univariate and Multivariate Analysis
| Characteristic | Persistent Symptoms (N=679), No. (%) |
No Persistent Symptoms (N=333), No. (%) |
Odds Ratio | 95% CI | P Value | Adjusted Odds Ratio a | 95% CI | P Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Demographics | ||||||||
| Age | ||||||||
| 18–24 y | 42 (6) | 31 (9) | 0.64 | 0.39–1.08 | .07 | |||
| 25–35 y | 202 (30) | 112 (34) | 0.83 | 0.63–1.12 | .21 | |||
| 36–45 y | 200 (29) | 86 (26) | 1.19 | 0.88 – 1.63 | .23 | |||
| 46–55 y | 129 (19) | 51 (15) | 1.29 | 0.89–1.89 | .15 | |||
| 56–65 y | 100 (15) | 49 (15) | 1.00 | 0.68–1.48 | 1.00 | |||
| >65 y | 5 (1) | 4 (1) | 0.61 | 0.13–3.08 | .46 | |||
| Sex, female | 606 (89) | 273 (82) | 1.82 | 1.24–2.68 | .001 | 1.75 | 1.17–2.62 | .007 |
| Race/Ethnicity | ||||||||
| White | 574 (85) | 276 (83) | 1.13 | 0.78–1.63 | .50 | |||
| African American | 32 (5) | 8 (2) | 2.01 | 0.89–5.10 | .08 | |||
| Hispanic/Latino | 39 (6) | 21 (6) | 0.91 | 0.51–1.65 | .72 | |||
| Duties with direct patient contact | 461 (68) | 240 (72) | 0.88 | 0.59–1.09 | .14 | |||
| Underlying conditions | ||||||||
| None | 346 (51) | 214 (64) | 0.58 | 0.44–0.76 | <.001 | 0.81 | 0.57–1.15 | .24 |
| Diabetes mellitus | 20 (3) | 15 (5) | 0.64 | 0.31–1.37 | .20 | |||
| Hypertension | 90 (13) | 41 (12) | 1.08 | 0.72–1.66 | .67 | |||
| Cardiovascular disease | 10 (1) | 4 (1) | 1.23 | 0.35–5.41 | .78 | |||
| Asthma | 105 (15) | 28 (8) | 1.99 | 1.27–3.21 | .002 | 1.47 | 0.88–2.47 | .14 |
| Obstructive sleep apnea | 33 (5) | 8 (2) | 2.08 | 0.93–5.27 | .06 | |||
| Obesity b | 144 (21) | 41 (12) | 1.92 | 1.30–2.86 | <.001 | 1.50 | 0.96–2.33 | .07 |
| Pregnancy | 11 (2) | 22 (7) | 0.23 | 0.10–0.051 | <.001 | |||
| Immune suppressed | 25 (4) | 2 (1) | 6.33 | 1.56–55.36 | .004 | |||
| Severity of initial illness | ||||||||
| Medical evaluation/treatment: | ||||||||
| In-person encounter | 74 (11) | 11 (3) | 3.58 | 1.85–7.58 | <.001 | 2.49 | 1.27–4.88 | .008 |
| Telemedicine encounter | 121 (18) | 28 (8) | 2.36 | 1.51–3.78 | <.001 | 1.84 | 1.16–2.90 | .009 |
| Urgent care clinic | 58 (9) | 5 (2) | 6.13 | 2.44–19.74 | <.001 | |||
| Emergency department | 62 (9) | 6 (2) | 5.47 | 2.34–15.64 | <.001 | |||
| Hospitalized | 18 (3) | 1 (0) | 9.04 | 1.41–377.73 | .01 | |||
| Experienced ≥ 7 symptoms c | 423 (62) | 93 (28) | 4.26 | 3.18–5.74 | <.001 | 3.65 | 2.72–4.90 | < .001 |
| Clinical symptoms during acute infection | ||||||||
| Asymptomatic | 0 (0) | 17 (5) | ** | ** | <.001 | |||
| Fever | 365 (54) | 126 (38) | 1.91 | 1.45–2.52 | <.001 | |||
| Chills | 402 (59) | 107 (32) | 3.07 | 2.30–4.08 | <.001 | |||
| Sinus congestion | 463 (68) | 186 (56) | 1.69 | 1.28–2.24 | <.001 | |||
| Sore throat | 296 (44) | 118 (35) | 1.41 | 1.06–1.85 | .01 | |||
| Headache | 548 (81) | 208 (62) | 2.51 | 1.86–3.40 | <.001 | |||
| Myalgias | 504 (74) | 153 (46) | 3.39 | 2.55–4.51 | < .001 | |||
| Cough | 429 (63) | 145 (44) | 2.22 | 1.69–2.93 | < .001 | |||
| Dyspnea | 358 (53) | 62 (19) | 4.87 | 3.53–6.78 | <.001 | |||
| Need for oxygen | 17 (3) | 0 (0) | d | d | .004 | |||
| Nausea and/or vomiting | 186 (27) | 40 (12) | 2.76 | 1.89–4.11 | <.001 | |||
| Diarrhea | 243 (36) | 69 (21) | 2.13 | 1.56–2.95 | <.001 | |||
| Fatigue | 565 (83) | 198 (59) | 3.38 | 2.48–4.60 | <.001 | |||
| Altered smell and/or taste | 530 (78) | 178 (53) | 3.09 | 2.31–4.15 | <.001 | |||
Note. CI, confidence interval; BMI, body mass index.
a
Calculated by logistic regression, adjusted for: sex, no underlying illnesses, asthma, obesity, in-person or telemedicine healthcare evaluation during acute infection, and ≥ 7 symptoms during acute infection.
b
Self-reported as “obesity” (BMI, height or weight measurements not collected).
c
Mean and median number of initial symptoms = 6.35 and 7, respectively.
d
Cannot be calculated.