Table 2.
Prevalence and number of symptoms in individuals who tested positive and individuals who tested negative for SARS‐CoV‐2 at 12 months a , b
| SARS‐CoV‐2 positive | SARS‐CoV‐2 negative | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| (n = 287) | (n = 1160) | ||
| Symptom | % (95% CI) | % (95% CI) | p‐Value |
| Any symptom | 33.4 (31.3–35.5) | 6.5 (6.1–6.8) | <0.001 |
| Fatigue | 16.0 (14.4–17.5) | 3.1 (2.7–3.3) | <0.001 |
| Loss or change in smell | 10.0 (8.6–11.5) | 1.7 (1.6–1.9) | <0.001 |
| Loss or change in taste | 10.3 (7.8–12.8) | 1.5 (1.2–1.9) | <0.001 |
| Dyspnea | 8.9 (6.6–11.2) | 1.1 (0.9–1.3) | <0.001 |
| Headache | 9.8 (8.4–11.2) | 1.7 (1.5–2.0) | <0.001 |
| Insomnia | 8.9 (5.4–12.3) | 2.7 (1.6–3.9) | <0.001 |
| Difficulty concentrating/loss of memory | 7.4 (5.8–9.1) | 2.5 (2.0–3.0) | <0.001 |
| Mental exhaustion | 6.9 (5.0–8.8) | 1.4 (1.1–1.7) | <0.001 |
| Paresthesia | 5.4 (3.1–7.8) | 1.9 (1.5–2.3) | <0.001 |
| Dizziness/lack of equilibrium | 6.4 (4.4–8.5) | 1.8 (1.0–2.5) | <0.001 |
| Cough | 6.5 (3.4–9.7) | 3.2 (1.8–4.6) | 0.033 |
| Chest pain | 6.0 (2.9–9.2) | 4.0 (2.3–5.7) | 0.214 |
| Palpitations | 3.8 (1.6–6.1) | 1.6 (0.6–2.5) | 0.032 |
| Myalgia | 7.3 (6.2–8.4) | 1.7 (1.5–1.9) | <0.001 |
| Arthralgia | 2.9 (2.0–3.9) | 2.0 (1.7–2.4) | 0.050 |
| Digestive symptoms (nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain) | 4.0 (3.0–4.9) | 1.6 (1.2–2.0) | <0.001 |
| Number of symptoms | |||
| None | 67.8 (65.8–69.7) | 93.6 (93.2–93.9) | <0.001 |
| 1 symptom | 10.6 (10.1–11.1) | 2.7 (2.6–2.9) | <0.001 |
| 2 symptoms | 4.8 (4.5–5.0) | 1.0 (0.9–1.1) | <0.001 |
| 3 symptoms | 5.0 (4.7–5.3) | 0.9 (0.8–1.0) | <0.001 |
| 4 symptoms | 2.8 (2.6–3.0) | 0.5 (0.4–0.5) | <0.001 |
| 5–10 symptoms | 7.8 (7.2–8.5) | 1.1 (1.1–1.2) | <0.001 |
| ≥11 symptoms | 1.1 (1.0–1.2) | 0.1 (0.1–0.1) | <0.001 |
Abbreviation: CI, confidence interval.
“Any symptom” was defined as the presence of any one symptom of those listed in the survey instrument.
Estimates of prevalence were adjusted for time from infection, age, sex, education, profession, working in healthcare setting, smoking, physical activity, COVID‐19 vaccination, symptoms at presentation, hospitalization, and the following comorbidities present prior to testing: overweight or obese, hypertension, respiratory disease, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, immunosuppression, hypothyroidism, anemia, migraine, tension headache, sleeping disorder, anxiety, depression, any psychiatric condition, irritable bowel syndrome, chronic pain syndrome, and chronic fatigue.