Longitudinal Surveillance of Post-Acute Sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 among Long Beach City Residents, April-December, 2020

Purpose: There have been limited studies on the post-acute sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 (PASC) throughout the course of the disease and recovery. The purpose of this study was to identify the prevalence and associated factors of PASC in a diverse population to inform patients’ expectations and public health policy. Methods & Materials: Confirmed Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) surveillance data was obtained from the California Reportable Disease Information Exchange (CalREDIE) surveillance system between April 1, 2020 and December 10, 2020. Simple random sampling without replacement was used to select participants for the study. Interview questions, guided by the CalREDIE COVID-19 case investigation questionnaire, focused on tracking self-reported symptoms prior to diagnosis, at time of positive test result, one-month post-testing, two months post-testing, and on the date of the final interview. Results: One third of participants reported PASC two months post-testing, most commonly reporting fatigue, anosmia, and dyspnea. Individuals forty years and older, female, Black/African American, and with asthma or obesity had the highest odds of developing PASC in our study population. Conclusion: Age, gender, pre-existing conditions, and ethnicity/race were associated with developing PASC in a diverse sample of hospitalized and non-hospitalized participants. As the number of recovered COVID-19 patients increases, it is critical to understand the impacts of PASC and differential access to care and recovery among diverse populations in order to guide patient expectations and equitable public health policies.