How can researchers profile post-COVID syndrome among different variants of SARS-CoV-2?

In a recent study posted on medrex sib*Preprint server, researchers profiled post-coronavirus disease (COVID) syndrome (PCS) across different severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) variants.

Background

SARS-CoV-2 is a rapidly evolving and highly contagious coronavirus (CoV). Worldwide, he has infected more than 572 million people since the first human infection was identified more than two years ago.

Surveys of self-reported symptoms have significantly improved our knowledge of SARS-CoV-2 across the pandemic and enabled us to track the long-term effects of COVID 2019 (COVID-19) beyond the hospital setting. I was. Characterizing how PCS manifests in different patterns is essential to enable individualized treatment for the most affected survivors.

According to the authors of the current study, there are no available studies comparing PCS symptom patterns between COVID-19 vaccination status and different SARS-CoV-2 variants. Furthermore, none of the studies attempted to characterize PCS by reporting long-term acquired symptom modeling in a time-series data format.

About research

This study used a broad sample including prospectively pooled longitudinal self-reports COVID-19 symptoms Establish symptom patterns of PCS among the major SARS-CoV-2 variants in 2020 and 2021 and overall vaccination status if infected. This is intended to guide the prediction and coordinated management of PCS.

In the current prospective longitudinal cohort study, researchers examined data from 336,652 participants who provided regular health reports using the COVID Symptom Study (CSS) mobile application. They used prospective self-report data collected across the pandemic from a very large cohort in the United Kingdom (UK) to conduct a community-based, unsupervised clustering assessment of symptoms from his PCS patients.

Different symptom profiles of PCS patients across SARS-CoV-2 variants and vaccination status at the time of infection were identified using clustering assessment of time-series data. Clusters were then characterized by symptom duration, prevalence, demographics, comorbidities or antecedent conditions. Additionally, the team utilized an independent research sample that included supplementary data from 140 people to explore how her PCS cluster affected the lives of affected individuals.

result

Study results revealed that participants reported feeling physically well about 30 days before they tested positive for SARS-CoV-2. Interestingly, 9,323 subsequently experienced Long-COVID, characterized by SARS-CoV-2 symptoms lasting more than his 28 days. In addition, 1,459 people were deemed to have developed his PCS, with COVID-19 symptoms lasting more than his 12 weeks.

The study found three major symptom profiles in people who experienced COVID-19 symptoms for 12 weeks or more. These profiles were consistent across the virus variants analyzed (delta, alpha, and wild-type) and followed vaccination status. The only differences were the proportion of people who experienced each pattern and the overall duration of symptoms.The authors found characteristic symptom patterns of PCS across and within SARS-CoV-2 variants . In addition, he found 4 endtypes (5 in Delta and 7 in Alpha) of infections caused by SARS-CoV-2 wild-type strains.

Clusters of cardiopulmonary symptoms were found among all variants. CNS disorders were the subject of his second cluster, and cases with the most debilitating and severe multisystem symptoms were associated with his third cluster. There were no more than two distinct phenotypes of gastrointestinal symptoms per virus strain. An independent study sample validated the presence of three major clusters and assessed their functional impact.

Symptoms associated with the CNS cluster include anosmia/anosmia, brain fog, fatigue, depression, headache, and delirium. This symptom profile matched the second largest wild-type variant cluster and the largest clusters of Delta and Alpha variants.

The second most frequent cluster was largest in the wild-type stage, when no one had been vaccinated, and was associated with cardiopulmonary symptoms. This cluster may indicate lung damage, was found in other analyzes and is suggested in the current study as chest pain and dyspnea. Finally, his third frequent cluster, found in all variants, is due to myalgia, abdominal, and inflammatory/systemic symptoms, as documented in other his PCS-focused studies. distinguished.

Conclusion

The researchers argued that the current study was one of the first large-scale studies to establish PCS symptom clusters in adults without supervision.

The results of this study demonstrated the existence of different PCSs with shared characteristics across SARS-CoV-2 variants in symptoms and mechanisms of their evolution during the disease course. Scientists described a subgroup of patients exhibiting specific her post-COVID symptoms. This may indicate different underlying pathophysiological processes.

This study employed a data-driven methodology to find unique self-reported symptom evolutions, or clusters, in people with symptoms lasting more than 12 weeks after SARS CoV-2 infection. When tested, he detected several clusters across the three virus variants. Nevertheless, three clusters emerged, characterized primarily by specific symptom groups (cardiopulmonary, central nervous system, and inflammatory/systemic) with common features.

The study is relevant for post-COVID prognostication, revealing how long specific symptoms persist with time-series components. These findings may help establish personalized diagnosis and treatment, and help policy makers plan care for her PCS patients. In addition, the current taxonomy may help us understand multiple her PCS mechanisms and subgroups of people at risk for long-term debilitation.

*Important Notices

medRxiv publishes non-peer-reviewed, preliminary scientific reports and should not be considered conclusive, to guide clinical practice/health-related actions, or to be treated as established information .