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ORIGINAL RESEARCH article

Front. Med.
Sec. Family Medicine and Primary Care
Volume 11 - 2024 | doi: 10.3389/fmed.2024.1459583
This article is part of the Research Topic Long COVID: Pathogenesis, Diagnosis and Clinical Management View all 8 articles

Understanding Long COVID: Prevalence, Characteristics, and Risk Factors in the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia

Provisionally accepted
Adam F. Aldhawyan Adam F. Aldhawyan 1*Mohammed A. Busaad Mohammed A. Busaad 1Nawaf E. Almaghlouth Nawaf E. Almaghlouth 2Abdullah H. Alnasser Abdullah H. Alnasser 2Jomana A. Alnasser Jomana A. Alnasser 2Abdulelah Almansour Abdulelah Almansour 1Khalid S. Alharkan Khalid S. Alharkan 1
  • 1 Department of Family and Community Medicine, College of Medicine, Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University, Damam, Saudi Arabia
  • 2 College of Medicine, Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University, Damam, Saudi Arabia

The final, formatted version of the article will be published soon.

    Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has significantly raised public health concerns and efforts to limit its spread, impacting societies and health systems worldwide. As challenges persist, the emergence of Long COVID (LC) marks a turning point in understanding the pandemic's long-term effects. Aim: This study aimed to determine the prevalence of LC in the Eastern Province of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) and explore factors contributing to its persistence. Method: This descriptive, cross-sectional, questionnaire-based study was carried out between December 1, 2023, and March 1, 2024, involving 1355 patients who recovered from COVID-19. Participants were conveniently chosen and information was gathered through in-person interviews in public settings after obtaining consent. Results: A majority of the patients (N=1355; 47.5% female; 93.8% Saudis; mean Age ± SD 33.13 ±12.60 years) had received three COVID-19 vaccine doses (89.5%). Women experienced 17.4% more LC symptoms than men (p<0.001). The risk of having a higher symptom count increased by 42.5% 12 months after acute COVID-19 infection compared with baseline (<3 months, p<0.001). A higher body mass index (BMI) was associated with more symptoms (1.1% increase per unit, p=0.004). More acute-phase symptoms correlated with more LC symptoms (p<0.001). Higher educational attainment reduced LC risk by 33% (p<0.001). Finally, age and vaccination status had no effect on LC symptoms count (p>0.05). Conclusion: Sociodemographic and clinical factors contribute differently to the chances of having LC and the count of symptoms. Awareness of such factors could provide insight into improving management, leading to better health outcomes.

    Keywords: This descriptive, Cross-sectional, questionnaire-based study was carried out between Long COVID, Post-COVID-19 Syndrome, post-covid condition, Ongoing symptomatic COVID-19, COVID-19

    Received: 04 Jul 2024; Accepted: 25 Sep 2024.

    Copyright: © 2024 Aldhawyan, Busaad, Almaghlouth, Alnasser, Alnasser, Almansour and Alharkan. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

    * Correspondence: Adam F. Aldhawyan, Department of Family and Community Medicine, College of Medicine, Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University, Damam, 34212, Saudi Arabia

    Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.