Evidence map›Paper›PMID 39385128›Full record

ArticleBMC infectious diseases2024

Post-viral symptoms and conditions are more frequent in COVID-19 than influenza, but not more persistent.

Falko Tesch, Franz Ehm, Friedrich Loser, Lars Bechmann, Annika Vivirito, Danny Wende, Manuel Batram, Tilo Buschmann, Simone Menzer, Marion Ludwig and 15 more

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in BMC infectious diseases, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 8 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
8citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

8 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Influenza.Nature reviews. Disease primers · 2026
    Review
  2. Clinical and economic benefits of seasonal COVID-19 vaccination in Germany: results from the ROUTINE-COV19 Study, September 2022 to March 2024.Euro surveillance : bulletin Europeen sur les maladies transmissibles = European communicable disease bulletin · 2026
    Article
  3. Article
  4. Article
  5. Article
  6. Article
  7. Article
  8. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

25 authors.

Falko TeschCenter for Evidence-Based Healthcare (ZEGV), University Hospital and Faculty of Medicine Carl Gustav Carus, TU Dresden, Fetscherstraße 74, Dresden, 01307, Germany. Falko.tesch@ukdd.de.
Franz EhmCenter for Evidence-Based Healthcare (ZEGV), University Hospital and Faculty of Medicine Carl Gustav Carus, TU Dresden, Fetscherstraße 74, Dresden, 01307, Germany.
Friedrich LoserTechniker Krankenkasse, Bramfelder Straße 140, Hamburg, 22305, Germany.
Lars BechmannIKK classic, Tannenstraße 4b, Dresden, 01099, Germany.
Annika ViviritoInGef - Institute for Applied Health Research Berlin GmbH, Otto-Ostrowski-Straße 5, Berlin, 10249, Germany.
Danny WendeBARMER Institut Für Gesundheitssystemforschung (bifg), Axel-Springer-Straße 44, Berlin, Germany.
Manuel BatramVandage GmbH, Detmolder Str. 30, Bielefeld, 33604, Germany.
Tilo BuschmannAOK PLUS, Sternplatz 7, Dresden, 01067, Germany.
Simone MenzerIKK classic, Tannenstraße 4b, Dresden, 01099, Germany.
Marion LudwigInGef - Institute for Applied Health Research Berlin GmbH, Otto-Ostrowski-Straße 5, Berlin, 10249, Germany.
Martin RoesslerBARMER Institut Für Gesundheitssystemforschung (bifg), Axel-Springer-Straße 44, Berlin, Germany.
Martin SeifertCenter for Evidence-Based Healthcare (ZEGV), University Hospital and Faculty of Medicine Carl Gustav Carus, TU Dresden, Fetscherstraße 74, Dresden, 01307, Germany.
Giselle Sarganas MargolisRobert Koch Institute, Nordufer 20, Berlin, 13353, Germany.
Lukas ReitzleRobert Koch Institute, Nordufer 20, Berlin, 13353, Germany.
Christina KönigTechniker Krankenkasse, Bramfelder Straße 140, Hamburg, 22305, Germany.
Claudia SchulteBARMER Institut Für Gesundheitssystemforschung (bifg), Axel-Springer-Straße 44, Berlin, Germany.
Dagmar HertleBARMER Institut Für Gesundheitssystemforschung (bifg), Axel-Springer-Straße 44, Berlin, Germany.
Pedro BallesterosBARMER Institut Für Gesundheitssystemforschung (bifg), Axel-Springer-Straße 44, Berlin, Germany.
Stefan BaßlerAOK PLUS, Sternplatz 7, Dresden, 01067, Germany.
Barbara BerteleTechniker Krankenkasse, Bramfelder Straße 140, Hamburg, 22305, Germany.
Thomas BittererIKK classic, Tannenstraße 4b, Dresden, 01099, Germany.
Cordula RiedererDAK-Gesundheit, Großer Burstah 23, Hamburg, Germany.
Franziska SobikDAK-Gesundheit, Großer Burstah 23, Hamburg, Germany.
Christa Scheidt-NaveRobert Koch Institute, Nordufer 20, Berlin, 13353, Germany.
Jochen SchmittCenter for Evidence-Based Healthcare (ZEGV), University Hospital and Faculty of Medicine Carl Gustav Carus, TU Dresden, Fetscherstraße 74, Dresden, 01307, Germany.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundPost-viral symptoms have long been known in the medical community but have received more public attention during the COVID-19 pandemic. Many post-viral symptoms were reported as particularly frequent after SARS-CoV-2 infection. However, there is still a lack of evidence regarding the specificity, frequency and persistence of these symptoms in comparison to other viral infectious diseases such as influenza.

methodsWe investigated a large population-based cohort based on German routine healthcare data. We matched 573,791 individuals with a PCR-test confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection from the year 2020 to contemporary controls without SARS-CoV-2 infection and controls from the last influenza outbreak in 2018 and followed them up to 18 months.

resultsWe found that post-viral symptoms as defined for COVID-19 by the WHO as well as tissue damage were more frequent among the COVID-19 cohort than the influenza or contemporary control cohort. The persistence of post-viral symptoms was similar between COVID-19 and influenza.

conclusionPost-viral symptoms following SARS-CoV-2 infection constitute a substantial disease burden as they are frequent and often persist for many months. As COVID-19 is becoming endemic, the disease must not be trivialized. Research should focus on the development of effective treatments for post-viral symptoms.

Indexed as

COVID-19Influenza, HumanSARS-CoV-2AdolescentAdultAgedAged, 80 and overCohort StudiesFemaleGermanyHumansMaleMiddle AgedPost-Acute COVID-19 SyndromeYoung AdultClaims dataCohort studyInfluenzaPost-COVIDSARS-CoV-2

Identifiers

PMID39385128
PMCPMC11465902

What Socratic holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.