Exploring the dynamics of COVID-19 in a Greenlandic cohort: Mild acute illness and moderate risk of long COVID
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Exploring the dynamics of COVID-19 in a Greenlandic cohort : Mild acute illness and moderate risk of long COVID. / Møller, Mie; Abelsen, Trine; Sørensen, Anna Irene Vedel; Andersson, Mikael; Friis-Hansen, Lennart; Dilling-Hansen, Christine; Kirkby, Nikolai; Vedsted, Peter; Mølbak, Kåre; Koch, Anders.
I: IJID Regions, Bind 11, 100366, 2024.Publikation: Bidrag til tidsskrift › Tidsskriftartikel › Forskning › fagfællebedømt
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TY - JOUR
T1 - Exploring the dynamics of COVID-19 in a Greenlandic cohort
T2 - Mild acute illness and moderate risk of long COVID
AU - Møller, Mie
AU - Abelsen, Trine
AU - Sørensen, Anna Irene Vedel
AU - Andersson, Mikael
AU - Friis-Hansen, Lennart
AU - Dilling-Hansen, Christine
AU - Kirkby, Nikolai
AU - Vedsted, Peter
AU - Mølbak, Kåre
AU - Koch, Anders
N1 - Publisher Copyright: © 2024 The Authors
PY - 2024
Y1 - 2024
N2 - Objectives: This study aimed to explore how the Greenlandic population experienced the course of both acute and long-term COVID-19. It was motivated by the unique epidemiologic situation in Greenland, with delayed community transmission of SARS-CoV-2 relative to the rest of the world. Methods: In a survey among 310 Greenlandic adults, we assessed the association between previous SARS-CoV-2 infection and overall health outcomes by administering three repeated questionnaires over 12 months after infection, with a response rate of 41% at the 12-month follow-up. The study included 128 individuals with confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection from January/February 2022 and 182 test-negative controls. Participants were recruited through personal approaches, phone calls, and social media platforms. Results: A total of 53.7% of 162 participants who were test-positive recovered within 4 weeks and 2.5% were hospitalized due to SARS-CoV-2. The most common symptoms were fatigue and signs of mild upper respiratory tract infection. Less than 5% reported sick leave above 2 weeks after infection. Compared with participants who were test-negative, there was an increased risk of reporting fatigue (risk differences 25.4%, 95% confidence interval 8.8-44.0) and mental exhaustion (risk differences 23.4%, 95% confidence interval 4.8-42.2) up to 12 months after a positive test. Conclusions: Our results indicate that during a period dominated by the Omicron variant, Greenlanders experienced a mild acute course of COVID-19, with quick recovery, minimizing the impact on sick leave. Long COVID may be present in Greenlanders, with symptoms persisting up to 12 months after infection. However, it is important to consider the small sample size and modest response rate as limitations when interpreting the results.
AB - Objectives: This study aimed to explore how the Greenlandic population experienced the course of both acute and long-term COVID-19. It was motivated by the unique epidemiologic situation in Greenland, with delayed community transmission of SARS-CoV-2 relative to the rest of the world. Methods: In a survey among 310 Greenlandic adults, we assessed the association between previous SARS-CoV-2 infection and overall health outcomes by administering three repeated questionnaires over 12 months after infection, with a response rate of 41% at the 12-month follow-up. The study included 128 individuals with confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection from January/February 2022 and 182 test-negative controls. Participants were recruited through personal approaches, phone calls, and social media platforms. Results: A total of 53.7% of 162 participants who were test-positive recovered within 4 weeks and 2.5% were hospitalized due to SARS-CoV-2. The most common symptoms were fatigue and signs of mild upper respiratory tract infection. Less than 5% reported sick leave above 2 weeks after infection. Compared with participants who were test-negative, there was an increased risk of reporting fatigue (risk differences 25.4%, 95% confidence interval 8.8-44.0) and mental exhaustion (risk differences 23.4%, 95% confidence interval 4.8-42.2) up to 12 months after a positive test. Conclusions: Our results indicate that during a period dominated by the Omicron variant, Greenlanders experienced a mild acute course of COVID-19, with quick recovery, minimizing the impact on sick leave. Long COVID may be present in Greenlanders, with symptoms persisting up to 12 months after infection. However, it is important to consider the small sample size and modest response rate as limitations when interpreting the results.
KW - Arctic
KW - COVID-19
KW - Greenland
KW - Long COVID
KW - SARS-CoV-2
U2 - 10.1016/j.ijregi.2024.100366
DO - 10.1016/j.ijregi.2024.100366
M3 - Journal article
C2 - 38736712
AN - SCOPUS:85191947727
VL - 11
JO - IJID Regions (Online)
JF - IJID Regions (Online)
SN - 2772-7076
M1 - 100366
ER -
ID: 394535707