Patients with long COVID identified pain as their most prevalent symptom, with symptom intensity influenced by demographic factors such as age, gender, ethnicity, education, and socioeconomic status, according to a recent study.

The retrospective case series study, published in the Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine Open, analyzed demographic associations with long COVID symptom intensity using self-reported data from 1,008 individuals via a healthcare application across 31 post–COVID-19 clinics in England and Wales. The study identified 109 symptom categories, with pain (26.5%), neuropsychological symptoms (18.4%), fatigue (14.3%), and dyspnea (7.4%) being the most frequently reported.

Symptom intensity increased by 3.3% per month post-registration. Participants in older age groups, specifically those aged 68 to 77 and 78 to 87 years, experienced notably higher symptom intensity, with increases of 32.8% and 86%, respectively, compared to those in the 18- to 27-year age group. Female participants reported 9.2% more intense symptoms than male participants, and non-White individuals reported 23.5% more intense symptoms compared to White individuals. Higher educational attainment was associated with lower symptom intensity; individuals with national vocational qualification (NVQ) 3 to NVQ 5 reported up to 62.8% less intense symptoms compared to those with NVQ 1 or 2. Additionally, individuals in less deprived areas reported lower symptom intensity, although no significant association was found between deprivation level and the number of symptoms reported.

These findings suggest that tailoring long COVID treatment plans to demographic factors such as age, sex, and ethnicity may warrant consideration, said the study's authors. 

Full disclosures can be found in the published study.