More than 3% of adults and 5% of young people have post-COVID
More than 3% of adults (over the age of 26) report experiencing symptoms for a long time after a coronavirus infection, sometimes for several years. Among young people aged 12 to 25, this figure is approximately 5%. This is evident from the new quarterly survey of young people and adults by the Network for Health Research into Disasters (Netwerk GOR).
Results from the research
According to the Health Survey COVID-19 by Netwerk GOR, almost a quarter of adults and a fifth of young people with long-term complaints indicate that they feel very limited in daily life. They often feel very tired, have memory and concentration problems and are often short of breath. Adults often indicate that they are less able to take on their responsibilities, such as housework or work.
The survey also asked how long people had been experiencing symptoms after infection. Among adults, 39% said they had been experiencing symptoms for 1 to 2 years and 32% for 2 to 3 years. Among young people, 30% said they had had these symptoms for 1 to 2 years and 9% for 2 to 3 years. The answers also show that 36% of adults with these symptoms received a post-COVID diagnosis from their GP. 39% of young people also received this diagnosis from their GP. In addition, 39% of adults and 44% of young people say that they themselves, or people who know them well, think that they have post-COVID.
Furthermore, according to the RIVM, new data from general practitioners shows that the number of adults visiting the GP for memory and concentration problems is still significantly higher than before the coronavirus pandemic. Notably, this increase occurs primarily in the 24-45 age group, where a 60% rise compared to 2019 is observed. Surprisingly, among the elderly, on the other hand, the number of visits for memory and concentration problems appears to be back at the 2019 level.
Confirmation
The findings that emerged from this COVID-19 Health Study confirm for C-support what we see in daily practice. In addition, the findings align with the outcomes of the multi-year post-COVID study that Erasmus MC is conducting for us. The nearly 4.500 participants in this study have now been ill for an average of 2 years and 4 months. Of these, 71% have not recovered at all or have only partially recovered. Many still experience a wide variety of debilitating symptoms. Memory and concentration problems persist in 80% of the participants.
