Beyond the acute: Pain in long covid survivors at 1.5 years

Abstract

Objective Long COVID, characterized by persistent symptoms post-acute COVID-19, remains a subject of intense investigation. This study focuses on pain, a common and notable symptom reported by long COVID patients.Method A cohort of 191 individuals, initially diagnosed with mild-to-moderate COVID-19, was followed up 1.5 years later to assess the frequency, clinical characteristics, and factors associated with pain persistence.Results Our study revealed that 31.9% of participants experienced at least one persistent pain symptom after 1.5 years. Headache emerged as the most prevalent symptom (29.8%), followed by myalgia (5.8%) and neuropathic pain (4.2%). Factors such as female gender and the presence of neuropathic pain symptom were identified as predictors of long-term headaches. Myalgia, showed associations with headache, arthralgia, and low ferritin levels. Persistent neuropathic pain symptom (4.2%) was linked to older age, female gender, sore throat, and headache.Conclusion This study provides insights into the evolution of pain symptoms over time after COVID-19 infection, emphasizing the interconnection between different pain syndromes. This research contributes to understanding the diverse and evolving nature of pain in long COVID survivors, offering valuable insights for targeted interventions and further investigations into the underlying mechanisms of persistent pain.Key messages Our study showed that nearly 32% of participants experienced at least one type of pain after 1.5 years of mild-to-moderate COVID-19 infection. This study provides insights into the evolution of pain symptoms over time, emphasizing the interconnection between different pain syndromes in long COVID survivors.