Long covid outcomes at one year after mild SARS-CoV-2 infection: nationwide cohort study. 1/11/2023. Mizrahi B. BMJ.

This nationwide Israeli retrospective cohort review of electronic health records comparing approximately 300,000 matched PCR negative or positive patients with mild disease, addresses long COVID outcomes. Patients were enrolled from March 2020 to October 2021, and 70 symptoms associated with long COVID were identified via ICD-10 codes, and analyzed at 1-6 months and 6-12 months post testing. The COVID variant was determined by dominance at the time of testing. The median age of the population was 25.  Symptoms more frequent in PCR positive persons at 1-6 months were respiratory disorders, hair loss, chest pain, myalgia and cough. Symptoms occurring significantly more often in PCR positive persons at 6-12 months were anosmia, dysgeusia, concentration and memory impairment, dyspnea, weakness, palpitations, streptococcal tonsillitis, and dizziness. The risk of receiving a prescription for a pulmonary diagnosis was independent of PCR test result. There was no difference in symptom incidence between COVID variants. Comparison of 14,000 vaccinated versus unvaccinated PCR positive patients revealed less dyspnea in the vaccinated population.

https://www.bmj.com/content/380/bmj-2022-072529