Prevalence of post-COVID Condition 12 Weeks after Omicron Infection Compared to Negative Controls and Association with Vaccination Status


 
 
 Post-COVID symptoms can persist several months after SARS-CoV-2 infection. Little is known, however, about the prevalence of post-COVID condition following infections from Omicron variants and how this varies according to vaccination status
 
 
 
 This study evaluates the prevalence of symptoms and functional impairment 12 weeks after an infection by Omicron variants (BA.1 and BA.2) compared to negative controls tested during the same period.
 
 
 
 Outpatient individuals tested positive or negative for COVID-19 infection between December 2021 and February 2022 at the Geneva University Hospitals were followed 12 weeks after their test date.
 
 
 
 Overall, 11.7% of Omicron cases had symptoms 12 weeks after the infection compared to 10.4% of individuals who tested negative during the same period (p < 0.001), and symptoms were much less common in vaccinated vs non-vaccinated individuals with Omicron infection (9.7% vs 18.1%, p < 0.001). There were no significant differences in functional impairment at 12 weeks between Omicron cases and negative controls even after adjusting for multiple potential confounders.
 
 
 
 The differential prevalence of post-COVID symptoms and functional impairment attributed to Omicron BA.1 and BA.2 infection is low when compared to negative controls. Vaccination is associated with lower prevalence of post-COVID symptoms.
