Journal Article

Associations between ethnicity and persistent physical and mental health symptoms experienced as part of ongoing symptomatic COVID-19

Ogbonnaya, Chibueze, Xiao, Songyuan, Lipman, Marc Caeroos Isaac, Bintalib, Heba Majed, Shah, Amar Jitu, Bhattacharyya, Shiuli, Naidu, Sindhu Bhaarrati, Thillaivasan, Karthig, Hurst, John Robert, Saigal, Anita, Seligmann, George, Niklewicz, Camila Nagoda, Mandal, Swapna

2024

Overview

Ethnicity can influence susceptibility to SARS-CoV-2 infection, hospitalisation and death. Its association with ongoing symptomatic COVID-19 is unclear. We assessed if, among a population followed up after discharge from hospital with COVID-19, adults from Asian, black, mixed and other backgrounds are at increased risk of physical and mental health symptoms. Adults discharged after hospitalisation with COVID-19 between 03/03/2020 and 27/11/2021 were routinely offered follow-up six to 12 weeks post-discharge and reviewed for ongoing symptomatic COVID-19, as defined by persisting physical symptoms (respiratory symptoms, fatigue, impaired sleep and number of other symptoms), mental health symptoms and inability to return to work if employed. Descriptive statistics and multiple regression analyses were used to compare differences in characteristics, follow-up outcomes and blood tests between ethnic groups. To account for possible selection bias, analyses were adjusted for propensity scores. 986 adults completed follow-up: 202 (20.5%) Asian, 105 (10.6%) black, 18 (1.8%) mixed, 468 (47.5%) white and 111 (11.3%) from other backgrounds. Differences between groups included white adults being older than those from Asian/'other' backgrounds and black adults being more likely from deprived areas than those from Asian/white/'other' backgrounds. After adjusting for these differences, at follow-up, black adults had fewer respiratory (adjusted odds ratio 0.49 (0.25-0.96)) and other symptoms (adjusted count ratio 0.68 (0.34-0.99)) compared to white adults. There were otherwise no significant differences between ethnic groups in terms of physical health, mental health or ability to return to work if employed. These findings were not altered after adjustment for propensity scores. In our population, despite having more co-morbidities associated with worse outcomes, adults from Asian, black, mixed and other ethnic backgrounds are not more likely to develop ongoing symptomatic COVID-19. However, it is important that healthcare services remain vigilant in ensuring the provision of timely patient-centred care.

• Publisher: Public Library of Science,Public Library of Science (PLoS)
• Subject: Adult / Adults / Aged / Biology and life sciences / Blood tests / Body mass index / Cardiovascular disease / COVID-19 / COVID-19 - epidemiology / COVID-19 - psychology / Demographic aspects / Diabetes / Electronic health records / Ethnicity / Fatigue / Fatigue tests / Female / Health aspects / Health services / Hospitalization / Hospitals / Humans / Hypertension / Infections / Ischemia / Kruskal-Wallis test / Male / Medicine and Health Sciences / Mental Health / Middle Aged / Minority & ethnic groups / Morbidity / Multiple regression analysis / People and Places / Questionnaires / Regression analysis / SARS-CoV-2 - isolation & purification / Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 / Social Sciences / Statistical tests / Ventilators / Viral diseases / White People