A nationwide retrospective study shows that one in 12 seriously ill patients during the Covid-19 pandemic in Bahrain developed ‘long Covid’.
Older adults, women and those with pre-existing medical conditions were found to be more vulnerable to post-Covid-19 conditions (PCC) or ‘long Covid-19.’
These were amongst the key findings of the study titled ‘Burden of acute and long-term Covid-19: a nationwide study in Bahrain, conducted by a group researchers from Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland in Bahrain, Salmaniya Medical Complex, the Health Ministry, Pfizer and the Bahrain Defence Force (BDF) Royal Medical Services (RMS) Military Hospital, led by infectious diseases consultant Dr Manaf Alqahtani.
Other researchers on the team were Mariam Murad, Stephen Atkin, Pearl Wasif, Alwaleed Behzad, Aamal Husain, Roisin Leahy, Florence d’Hellencourt, Jean Joury, Mohamed Abdel Aziz, Srinivas Rao Valluri, Hammam Haridy, Julia Spinardi and Moe Kyaw.
“Of 13,067 Covid-19 cases, 12,022 of them experienced acute Covid-19, and 1,045 of them developed PCC,” researchers noted, in the abstract for the study.
“Individuals with PCC tended to be older women with risk factors and instances of SARS-CoV-2 reinfection.”
Acute Covid-19 is characterised by respiratory symptoms, fever and gastrointestinal issues, which may lead to hospitalisation and death.
Following the acute phase, individuals can develop post-Covid-19 conditions (PCC) or long Covid.
This condition is characterised by the persistence, recurrence or emergence of a range of symptoms following the initial infection.
The Bahrain study found that the virus spread most during the final Omicron variant wave, during which the incidence or occurrence rate per 100,000 people peaked at 222.5.
However, the death rate was highest during the spread of the Delta variant in 2021, during which 112 individuals per 100,000 died from acute Covid-19, while 10 per 100,000 died due to PCC.
The research also found that the Omicron variant was most fatal amongst those aged 75 and above who had acute Covid-19, with a mortality rate of 532.02 per 100,000.
While both men and women were equally likely to get acute Covid-19, women comprised 54 per cent of the surveyed patients who contracted PCC, compared to 46pc men.
The study also found that individuals of Arab descent are more likely to develop PCC, suggesting a possible genetic component, however, this group also comprised the majority of those included in the study.
These findings suggest the need for a timely national vaccination programme prior to new Covid-19 surges to prevent complications related to infection, particularly in the older adult and in non-older adult individuals with risk factors,” researchers noted, in their conclusions.
“Our findings are consistent with the recommendations of the US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and World Health Organisation (WHO), which advocate for early and timely vaccination, particularly for older adult individuals and non-older adult individuals with risk factors, to reduce the risk of complications from Covid-19 infection.”
The raw data for this study was extracted from administrative databases maintained by the Health Ministry, which included national records of all confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infections, vaccines administered and clinical records.
Researchers noted that while the study provides valuable insights into PCC, a comprehensive understanding of PCC risk requires consideration of additional factors such as socioeconomic status, occupation, and healthcare access with these factors influencing both the likelihood of contracting Covid-19 and the severity of its long-term effects.
naman@gdnmedia.bh
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