Rapid implementation of cross-sectional study: Post-acute sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 (PASC) in a racially and ethnically diverse sample in Illinois

Mermelstein, R. J.; Aiyer, M.; Canfield, C.; Chestek, D.; Cook, J. A.; Del Rios, M.; Diviak, K. R.; Ellison, A. M.; Gordon, H. S.; Illendula, S. D.; Kandula, M.; Klein, J. D.; Larimer, K.; Lash, J.; Lin, J.; Loeb, J. A.; Lynch, T. J.; Musick, H.; Novak, R. M.; Prendergast, H. M.; Krishnan, J. A.

ABSTRACT Little is known about the pattern and course of recovery following acute COVID-19. Increasing numbers of reports describe persistent illness following infection with SARS-COV-2, also known as Post-Acute Sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 (PASC). This report describes the methods and results of a multi-pronged strategy to rapidly identify and enroll, over a one week period in April 2021, a racially and ethnically diverse sample of individuals and to characterize PASC among a this diverse sample. Participants were recruited through community outreach, clinical registries, and research registries across four cities in Illinois to complete an online survey. We examined presence of symptoms among 246 individuals who were at least three months past testing positive for SARS-CoV-2. Respondents were 70% female; 48% Hispanic/Latinx; 18% Black, and 28% White. Most had mild illness (78% were not hospitalized), and 26% reported they had not yet returned to their usual health within 3 months of their diagnosis. The most prevalent symptoms persisting 3-months following COVID-19 diagnosis included fatigue (20%), difficulty thinking (19%), problems with taste or smell (15%), and muscle or body aches (15%). In a multivariable logistic regression model, older age (40-59 vs. 18-39 years: adjusted odds ratio [aOR] = 0.46 [95% confidence interval, 0.24 to 0.90]) and having been hospitalized with COVID-19 (vs. not hospitalized: aOR = 0.28 [0.12 to 0.64]) were independently associated with a lower likelihood of recovery within 3 months. Compromised health continued well beyond the acute phase of COVID-19 in our ethnically diverse sample, especially among older individuals and those who were hospitalized. The partnerships with community- and faith-based organizations developed for the current study offer the potential to broadly disseminate study findings and to further understand and mitigate underlying determinants of risk, severity, and duration of PASC.