Substantial health and economic burden of COVID-19 during the year after acute illness among US adults not at high risk of severe COVID-19

Patients recovering from SARS-CoV-2 infection and acute COVID-19 illness can experience a range of long-term post-acute effects. The potential clinical and economic burden of these outcomes is unclear. This study, published by BMC Medicine in the USA recently (02/02/2024), evaluated diagnoses, medications, healthcare utilization, and medical costs before and after acute COVID-19 illness in US patients who were not at high risk of severe COVID-19.

The results showed that hose who were hospitalized with or without ICU admission during the acute phase had the greatest increases in comorbidities and healthcare resource utilization. However, the burden was apparent across all cohorts. The conclusion as evidenced by resource use in the post-acute phase, COVID-19 places a significant long-term clinical and economic burden among US individuals, even among patients whose acute infection did not merit hospitalization.

You can read the study here.

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