Post-Acute Sequelae of Covid-19 and Longitudinal antibody Levels in a Community-Based Cohort

BACKGROUND: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) infection invokes variable immune responses and poses a risk of post-acute sequelae SARS-CoV-2 infection (PASC) symptoms; however, most data on natural history are derived from patients with severe infection. Further data are needed among patients with mild infection, who comprise most cases. METHODS: The Dallas Fort-Worth (DFW) COVID-19 Prevalence Study included 21,597 community-dwelling adults (ages 18-89) who underwent COVID-19 PCR and anti-nucleocapsid antibody testing between July 2020 and March 2021. We invited participants with positive COVID-19 results (cases) and a subset with negative results (controls), matched on age, sex, race/ethnicity, and ZIP code, to complete a follow-up questionnaire for PASC symptoms and repeat anti-nucleocapsid testing, and anti-spike antibody testing between July and December 2021. RESULTS: Of 3,917 adults invited to participate, 2260 (57.7%) completed the questionnaire- 1150 cases and 1110 controls. Persistent symptoms were reported in 21.1% of cases, with the most common being shortness of breath, fatigue, and loss of taste or smell. Among 292 cases with asymptomatic infection, \u3e15% reported new fatigue and 8-10% reported new loss of taste/smell, myalgias, or headache. Median anti-nucleocapsid levels in cases decreased from 3.5U to 0.7U over a median follow-up of 8.6 months. Anti-spike antibody levels at 6-7 months post-vaccination in cases were similar to that of controls. CONCLUSIONS: More than 1 in 5 patients with COVID-19 infection, including those with mild infection, reported persistent symptoms during follow-up. Both nucleocapsid and spike protein antibody levels decreased within six months following a COVID-19 infection and vaccination

Population-Based Correlates of Covid-19 infection: an analysis From the Dfw Covid-19 Prevalence Study

BACKGROUND: COVID-19 has resulted in over 1 million deaths in the U.S. as of June 2022, with continued surges after vaccine availability. Information on related attitudes and behaviors are needed to inform public health strategies. We aimed to estimate the prevalence of COVID-19, risk factors of infection, and related attitudes and behaviors in a racially, ethnically, and socioeconomically diverse urban population. METHODS: The DFW COVID-19 Prevalence Study Protocol 1 was conducted from July 2020 to March 2021 on a randomly selected sample of adults aged 18-89 years, living in Dallas or Tarrant Counties, Texas. Participants were asked to complete a 15-minute questionnaire and COVID-19 PCR and antibody testing. COVID-19 prevalence estimates were calculated with survey-weighted data. RESULTS: Of 2969 adults who completed the questionnaire (7.4% weighted response), 1772 (53.9% weighted) completed COVID-19 testing. Overall, 11.5% of adults had evidence of COVID-19 infection, with a higher prevalence among Hispanic and non-Hispanic Black persons, essential workers, those in low-income neighborhoods, and those with lower education attainment compared to their counterparts. We observed differences in attitudes and behaviors by race and ethnicity, with non-Hispanic White persons being less likely to believe in the importance of mask wearing, and racial and ethnic minorities more likely to attend social gatherings. CONCLUSION: Over 10% of an urban population was infected with COVID-19 early during the pandemic. Differences in attitudes and behaviors likely contribute to sociodemographic disparities in COVID-19 prevalence

Post-acute sequelae of COVID-19 and longitudinal antibody levels in a community-based cohort.

BackgroundCoronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) infection invokes variable immune responses and poses a risk of post-acute sequelae SARS-CoV-2 infection (PASC) symptoms; however, most data on natural history are derived from patients with severe infection. Further data are needed among patients with mild infection, who comprise most cases.MethodsThe Dallas Fort-Worth (DFW) COVID-19 Prevalence Study included 21,597 community-dwelling adults (ages 18-89) who underwent COVID-19 PCR and anti-nucleocapsid antibody testing between July 2020 and March 2021. We invited participants with positive COVID-19 results (cases) and a subset with negative results (controls), matched on age, sex, race/ethnicity, and ZIP code, to complete a follow-up questionnaire for PASC symptoms and repeat anti-nucleocapsid testing, and anti-spike antibody testing between July and December 2021.ResultsOf 3,917 adults invited to participate, 2260 (57.7%) completed the questionnaire- 1150 cases and 1110 controls. Persistent symptoms were reported in 21.1% of cases, with the most common being shortness of breath, fatigue, and loss of taste or smell. Among 292 cases with asymptomatic infection, >15% reported new fatigue and 8-10% reported new loss of taste/smell, myalgias, or headache. Median anti-nucleocapsid levels in cases decreased from 3.5U to 0.7U over a median follow-up of 8.6 months. Anti-spike antibody levels at 6-7 months post-vaccination in cases were similar to that of controls.ConclusionsMore than 1 in 5 patients with COVID-19 infection, including those with mild infection, reported persistent symptoms during follow-up. Both nucleocapsid and spike protein antibody levels decreased within six months following a COVID-19 infection and vaccination