Risk of Long COVID Greater for Individuals With Social Risk Factors

Follow Drugslib on

By Elana Gotkine HealthDay Reporter

Medically reviewed by Drugs.com

via HealthDay

THURSDAY, July 31, 2025 -- Individuals with social risk factors at the time of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection have increased risk for subsequent long COVID, according to a study published online July 29 in the Annals of Internal Medicine.

Candace H. Feldman, M.D., M.P.H., Sc.D., from Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston, and colleagues conducted a prospective observational cohort study in 33 states plus Washington, D.C., and Puerto Rico to examine associations between social determinants of health (SDoH) at the time of SARS-CoV-2 infection and risk for long COVID. Adults enrolled in the Researching COVID to Enhance Recovery study and who were within 30 days of SARS-CoV-2 infection were included.

Overall, 418 (11 percent) of the 3,787 participants developed long COVID. The researchers found that the risk of long COVID was increased in association with financial hardship (adjusted marginal risk ratio [ARR], 2.36), food insecurity (ARR 2.36), less than a college education (ARR, 1.60), experiences of medical discrimination (ARR, 2.37), skipped medical care due to cost (ARR, 2.87), and lack of social support (ARR, 1.79), after adjustment for demographic characteristics, pregnancy, disability, comorbidities, SARS-CoV-2 severity, and vaccinations. Greater risk was also seen in association with living in ZIP codes with the highest versus the lowest household crowding (ARR, 1.36).

"Efforts are urgently needed to build infrastructure to address current inequities in social risk factor distribution and to ensure access to high-quality, multidisciplinary long COVID care for persons with the greatest burden," the authors write.

Abstract/Full Text

Disclaimer: Statistical data in medical articles provide general trends and do not pertain to individuals. Individual factors can vary greatly. Always seek personalized medical advice for individual healthcare decisions.

Source: HealthDay

Posted : 2025-08-01 12:00

Read more

Disclaimer

Every effort has been made to ensure that the information provided by Drugslib.com is accurate, up-to-date, and complete, but no guarantee is made to that effect. Drug information contained herein may be time sensitive. Drugslib.com information has been compiled for use by healthcare practitioners and consumers in the United States and therefore Drugslib.com does not warrant that uses outside of the United States are appropriate, unless specifically indicated otherwise. Drugslib.com's drug information does not endorse drugs, diagnose patients or recommend therapy. Drugslib.com's drug information is an informational resource designed to assist licensed healthcare practitioners in caring for their patients and/or to serve consumers viewing this service as a supplement to, and not a substitute for, the expertise, skill, knowledge and judgment of healthcare practitioners.

The absence of a warning for a given drug or drug combination in no way should be construed to indicate that the drug or drug combination is safe, effective or appropriate for any given patient. Drugslib.com does not assume any responsibility for any aspect of healthcare administered with the aid of information Drugslib.com provides. The information contained herein is not intended to cover all possible uses, directions, precautions, warnings, drug interactions, allergic reactions, or adverse effects. If you have questions about the drugs you are taking, check with your doctor, nurse or pharmacist.

Popular Keywords