British Medical Journal (The BMJ)Long COVID Outcomes at One Year After Mild SARS-CoV-2 Infection: Nationwide Cohort Study

This large cohort study evaluated the frequency of 70 long COVID outcomes in unvaccinated individuals with mild COVID infection matched to uninfected individuals and to vaccinated individuals. Anosmia and dysgeusia were the most frequently reported long COVID symptoms with the risk being dramatically increasing at 30 days to 6 months post infection and falling rapidly thereafter. Mild COVID generated an 85% increased risk of cognitive impairment an 80% increased risk of dyspnea and weakness and a nearly 50% increased risk for palpitations. The findings were consistent across all COVID variants and were more marked in adults than children. Vaccinated individuals with breakthrough infection had similar risk for all these outcomes with the exception of dyspnea, for which the risk was lower in vaccinated persons.