Publications
Associations of HIV with Manifestations of Long COVID in a Medicaid Managed Care Population
2023
Brennan-Ing, M., Wu, Y., Brandenburg, C., Fusaris, E., Overbey, R., & Ernst, J. (2023, Nov. 12-15). Associations of HIV with manifestations of long COVID in a Medicaid managed care population [poster]. American Public Health Association Annual Meeting and Expo, Atlanta, GA, United States.
Mark Brennan-Ing and Yiyi Wu
Participants’ mean age was 45.4 years (SD=11.9) and most were Black or Latinx (43.7% and 39.4%, respectively), while 31.7% had inadequate incomes and 77.5% were HIV-positive. Long COVID symptoms of 6 months or more were reported by 45.8% (M=4.8, SD=7.8). The most frequent symptoms were fatigue (19%), muscle aches/bone or joint pain (19.7%), brain fog (20.4%), and neck/back pain (21.8%).
Multiple regression analysis found the number of long COVID symptoms lasting 6 months or more was significantly associated with inadequate incomes and comorbidities (cardiac problems, cancer, fibromyalgia). Race/ethnicity and HIV serostatus were not associated with long COVID; the small size of the comparator groups for these variables is a limitation.
In conclusion, we found that people with low socioeconomic status and health comorbidities were more likely to experience long COVID. Providers serving patients with a history of COVID should screen for long COVID symptoms and offer treatment as available.