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Jamie G, Elson W, Kar D, Wimalaratna R, Hoang U, Meza-Torres B, Forbes A, Hinton W, Anand S, Ferreira F, Byford R, Ordonez-Mena J, Agrawal U, de Lusignan S. Phenotype execution and modeling architecture to support disease surveillance and real-world evidence studies: English sentinel network evaluation. JAMIA Open 2024; 7:ooae034. [PMID: 38737141 PMCID: PMC11087727 DOI: 10.1093/jamiaopen/ooae034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/04/2024] [Revised: 04/02/2024] [Accepted: 05/02/2024] [Indexed: 05/14/2024] Open
Abstract
Objective To evaluate Phenotype Execution and Modelling Architecture (PhEMA), to express sharable phenotypes using Clinical Quality Language (CQL) and intensional Systematised Nomenclature of Medicine (SNOMED) Clinical Terms (CT) Fast Healthcare Interoperability Resources (FHIR) valuesets, for exemplar chronic disease, sociodemographic risk factor, and surveillance phenotypes. Method We curated 3 phenotypes: Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), excessive alcohol use, and incident influenza-like illness (ILI) using CQL to define clinical and administrative logic. We defined our phenotypes with valuesets, using SNOMED's hierarchy and expression constraint language, and CQL, combining valuesets and adding temporal elements where needed. We compared the count of cases found using PhEMA with our existing approach using convenience datasets. We assessed our new approach against published desiderata for phenotypes. Results The T2DM phenotype could be defined as 2 intensionally defined SNOMED valuesets and a CQL script. It increased the prevalence from 7.2% to 7.3%. Excess alcohol phenotype was defined by valuesets that added qualitative clinical terms to the quantitative conceptual definitions we currently use; this change increased prevalence by 58%, from 1.2% to 1.9%. We created an ILI valueset with SNOMED concepts, adding a temporal element using CQL to differentiate new episodes. This increased the weekly incidence in our convenience sample (weeks 26-38) from 0.95 cases to 1.11 cases per 100 000 people. Conclusions Phenotypes for surveillance and research can be described fully and comprehensibly using CQL and intensional FHIR valuesets. Our use case phenotypes identified a greater number of cases, whilst anticipated from excessive alcohol this was not for our other variable. This may have been due to our use of SNOMED CT hierarchy. Our new process fulfilled a greater number of phenotype desiderata than the one that we had used previously, mostly in the modeling domain. More work is needed to implement that sharing and warehousing domains.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gavin Jamie
- Nuffield Department of Primary Health Care Sciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX2 6ED, United Kingdom
| | - William Elson
- Nuffield Department of Primary Health Care Sciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX2 6ED, United Kingdom
| | - Debasish Kar
- Nuffield Department of Primary Health Care Sciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX2 6ED, United Kingdom
| | - Rashmi Wimalaratna
- Nuffield Department of Primary Health Care Sciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX2 6ED, United Kingdom
| | - Uy Hoang
- Nuffield Department of Primary Health Care Sciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX2 6ED, United Kingdom
| | - Bernardo Meza-Torres
- Nuffield Department of Primary Health Care Sciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX2 6ED, United Kingdom
| | - Anna Forbes
- Nuffield Department of Primary Health Care Sciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX2 6ED, United Kingdom
| | - William Hinton
- Nuffield Department of Primary Health Care Sciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX2 6ED, United Kingdom
| | - Sneha Anand
- Nuffield Department of Primary Health Care Sciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX2 6ED, United Kingdom
| | - Filipa Ferreira
- Nuffield Department of Primary Health Care Sciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX2 6ED, United Kingdom
| | - Rachel Byford
- Nuffield Department of Primary Health Care Sciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX2 6ED, United Kingdom
| | - Jose Ordonez-Mena
- Nuffield Department of Primary Health Care Sciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX2 6ED, United Kingdom
| | - Utkarsh Agrawal
- Nuffield Department of Primary Health Care Sciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX2 6ED, United Kingdom
| | - Simon de Lusignan
- Nuffield Department of Primary Health Care Sciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX2 6ED, United Kingdom
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Broughan J, Sietiņš E, Emily Siu KY, Clendennen N, Collins C, Fawsitt R, Lambert JS, Savinelli S, Skeffington S, McCombe G, Cullen W. Enhancing long COVID care in general practice: A qualitative study. PLoS One 2024; 19:e0306077. [PMID: 38924005 PMCID: PMC11207167 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0306077] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/22/2024] [Accepted: 06/11/2024] [Indexed: 06/28/2024] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Research suggests that general practice can play an important role in managing long COVID. However, studies investigating the perspectives of general practitioners (GPs) and patients are lacking and knowledge regarding optimal long COVID care in general practice is therefore limited. AIM To investigate GPs' and patients' perspectives on the topic of long COVID and its management in general practice. METHODS Brief questionnaires (GP n = 11, Patient n = 7) and in-depth semi-structured interviews (GP n = 10, Patient n = 7) were conducted with GPs and patients from Irish general practices during July 2022-January 2023. Interviews were conducted via telephone and audio recordings were transcribed. A phenomenological analysis involving reflexive thematic analysis and constant comparison techniques was adopted. RESULTS Analysis of interviews with GPs (male = 7, female = 3; median age = 50yrs (IQR = 39.5-56)) and patients (males = 2, female = 5; median age = 58yrs (IQR = 45-62yrs) generated four themes. These were (1) Complex presentations (2) the value of standardising care, (3) choosing the right path, and (4) supportive and collaborative doctor-patient relationships. Strong agreement was observed among GPs and patients regarding the need for holistic and integrated multidisciplinary care. Supportive and collaborative doctor-patient relationships were largely well received by GPs and patients also. GPs strongly endorsed standardising long COVID care operations. CONCLUSION GPs and patients indicated that structured, integrated, and collaborative care can help optimise long COVID management in general practice. GPs are advised to incorporate these elements into their long COVID care practices going forward. Future research examining stakeholder's perspectives using larger and longitudinal samples is advised to enhance the generalisability of evidence in this area.
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Affiliation(s)
- John Broughan
- Clinical Research Centre, School of Medicine, University College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Emīls Sietiņš
- School of Medicine, University College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
| | | | - Nia Clendennen
- School of Medicine, University College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
- The Coombe Family Practice, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Claire Collins
- Irish College of General Practitioners, Dublin, Ireland
- Department of Public Health and Primary Care, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Ghent University, Gent, Belgium
| | - Ronan Fawsitt
- School of Medicine, University College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
- Castle Gardens Surgery, Kilkenny, Ireland
- Ireland East Hospital Group, Dublin, Ireland
| | - John S. Lambert
- School of Medicine, University College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
- Mater Misericordiae University Hospital Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
- The Rotunda Hospital, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Stefano Savinelli
- School of Medicine, University College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
- St Vincent’s University Hospital, Dublin, Ireland
| | | | - Geoff McCombe
- School of Medicine, University College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Walter Cullen
- School of Medicine, University College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
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Man MA, Rosca D, Bratosin F, Fira-Mladinescu O, Ilie AC, Burtic SR, Fildan AP, Fizedean CM, Jianu AM, Negrean RA, Marc MS. Impact of Pre-Infection COVID-19 Vaccination on the Incidence and Severity of Post-COVID Syndrome: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Vaccines (Basel) 2024; 12:189. [PMID: 38400172 PMCID: PMC10893048 DOI: 10.3390/vaccines12020189] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2023] [Revised: 01/25/2024] [Accepted: 02/10/2024] [Indexed: 02/25/2024] Open
Abstract
This systematic review critically evaluated the impact of a pre-infection COVID-19 vaccination on the incidence and severity of post-COVID-19 syndrome and aimed to assess the potential protective effect across different vaccines and patient demographics. This study hypothesized that vaccination before infection substantially reduces the risk and severity of post-COVID-19 syndrome. In October 2023, a comprehensive literature search was conducted across three databases, PubMed, Embase, and Scopus, focusing on studies published up to that date. Utilizing a wide array of keywords, the search strategy adhered to the PRISMA guidelines and was registered in the Open Science Framework. The inclusion criteria comprised studies focusing on patients with a breakthrough SARS-CoV-2 infection who developed post-COVID-19 syndrome. We included a total of 13 articles that met the inclusion criteria, analyzing more than 10 million patients with a mean age of 50.6 years, showing that the incidence of intensive care unit (ICU) admissions post-vaccination was as low as 2.4%, with a significant reduction in mortality risk (OR 0.66, 95% CI 0.58-0.74). The prevalence of post-COVID-19 syndrome symptoms was lower in vaccinated individuals (9.5%) compared to unvaccinated (14.6%), with a notable decrease in activity-limiting symptoms (adjusted OR 0.59, 95% CI 0.48-0.73). Vaccinated patients also showed a quicker recovery and return to work (HR 1.37, 95% CI 1.04-1.79). The pooled odds ratio of 0.77 indicates that vaccination is associated with a 23% reduction in the risk of developing post-COVID-19 syndrome (95% CI 0.75-0.79). Despite the protective effects observed, a substantial heterogeneity among the studies was noted. In conclusion, a pre-infection COVID-19 vaccination is associated with a significant reduction in the risk and severity of post-COVID-19 syndrome. However, the observed heterogeneity across studies suggests a need for further research with standardized methods to fully comprehend vaccine efficacy against long COVID.
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Affiliation(s)
- Milena Adina Man
- Department of Medical Sciences-Pulmonology, University of Medicine and Pharmacy, “Iuliu Hatieganu”, 400012 Cluj Napoca, Romania;
| | - Daniela Rosca
- Doctoral School, “Victor Babes” University of Medicine and Pharmacy Timisoara, 300041 Timisoara, Romania; (F.B.); (S.-R.B.)
| | - Felix Bratosin
- Doctoral School, “Victor Babes” University of Medicine and Pharmacy Timisoara, 300041 Timisoara, Romania; (F.B.); (S.-R.B.)
- Discipline of Infectious Diseases, “Victor Babes” University of Medicine and Pharmacy Timisoara, 300041 Timisoara, Romania
| | - Ovidiu Fira-Mladinescu
- Center for Research and Innovation in Precision Medicine of Respiratory Diseases, “Victor Babes” University of Medicine and Pharmacy Timisoara, 300041 Timisoara, Romania; (O.F.-M.); (M.S.M.)
- Discipline of Pulmonology, “Victor Babes” University of Medicine and Pharmacy Timisoara, 300041 Timisoara, Romania
| | - Adrian Cosmin Ilie
- Department III Functional Sciences, Division of Public Health and Management, “Victor Babes” University of Medicine and Pharmacy Timisoara, 300041 Timisoara, Romania;
| | - Sonia-Roxana Burtic
- Doctoral School, “Victor Babes” University of Medicine and Pharmacy Timisoara, 300041 Timisoara, Romania; (F.B.); (S.-R.B.)
- Department II, Discipline of Medical Communication, “Victor Babes” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 300041 Timisoara, Romania
| | - Ariadna Petronela Fildan
- Department of Pulmonology, Faculty of Medicine, “Ovidius” University of Constanta, 900470 Constanta, Romania;
| | - Camelia Melania Fizedean
- Methodological and Infectious Diseases Research Center, Department of Infectious Diseases, “Victor Babes” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 300041 Timisoara, Romania;
| | - Adelina Maria Jianu
- Department of Anatomy and Embriology, “Victor Babes” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 300041 Timisoara, Romania;
| | - Rodica Anamaria Negrean
- Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine and Pharmacy, University of Oradea, 410073 Oradea, Romania
| | - Monica Steluta Marc
- Center for Research and Innovation in Precision Medicine of Respiratory Diseases, “Victor Babes” University of Medicine and Pharmacy Timisoara, 300041 Timisoara, Romania; (O.F.-M.); (M.S.M.)
- Discipline of Pulmonology, “Victor Babes” University of Medicine and Pharmacy Timisoara, 300041 Timisoara, Romania
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Pungitore S, Olorunnisola T, Mosier J, Subbian V. Computable Phenotypes for Post-acute sequelae of SARS-CoV-2: A National COVID Cohort Collaborative Analysis. AMIA ... ANNUAL SYMPOSIUM PROCEEDINGS. AMIA SYMPOSIUM 2024; 2023:589-598. [PMID: 38222385 PMCID: PMC10785914] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/16/2024]
Abstract
Post-acute sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 (PASC) is an increasingly recognized yet incompletely understood public health concern. Several studies have examined various ways to phenotype PASC to better characterize this heterogeneous condition. However, many gaps in PASC phenotyping research exist, including a lack of the following: 1) standardized definitions for PASC based on symptomatology; 2) generalizable and reproducible phenotyping heuristics and meta-heuristics; and 3) phenotypes based on both COVID-19 severity and symptom duration. In this study, we defined computable phenotypes (or heuristics) and meta-heuristics for PASC phenotypes based on COVID-19 severity and symptom duration. We also developed a symptom profile for PASC based on a common data standard. We identified four phenotypes based on COVID-19 severity (mild vs. moderate/severe) and duration of PASC symptoms (subacute vs. chronic). The symptoms groups with the highest frequency among phenotypes were cardiovascular and neuropsychiatric with each phenotype characterized by a different set of symptoms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah Pungitore
- Program in Applied Mathematics, The University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ
| | | | - Jarrod Mosier
- College of Medicine - Tucson, The University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ
| | - Vignesh Subbian
- College of Engineering, The University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ
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O'Regan E, Svalgaard IB, Sørensen AIV, Spiliopoulos L, Bager P, Nielsen NM, Hansen JV, Koch A, Ethelberg S, Hviid A. A hybrid register and questionnaire study of Covid-19 and post-acute sick leave in Denmark. Nat Commun 2023; 14:6266. [PMID: 37805514 PMCID: PMC10560282 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-42048-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/11/2023] [Accepted: 09/27/2023] [Indexed: 10/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Post-acute sick leave is an underexplored indicator of the societal burden of SARS-CoV-2. Here, we report findings about self-reported sick leave and risk factors thereof from a hybrid survey and register study, which include 37,482 RT-PCR confirmed SARS-CoV-2 cases and 51,336 test-negative controls who were tested during the index- and alpha-dominant waves. We observe that an additional 33 individuals per 1000 took substantial sick leave following acute infection compared to persons with no known history of infection, where substantial sick leave is defined as >1 month of sick leave within the period 1-9 months after the RT-PCR test date. Being female, 50-65 years, or having certain pre-existing health conditions such as obesity, chronic lung diseases, and fibromyalgia each increase risk for taking substantial sick leave. Altogether, these results may help motivate improved diagnostic and treatment options for persons living with post-Covid conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elisabeth O'Regan
- Department of Epidemiology Research, Statens Serum Institut, 2300, Copenhagen S, Denmark.
| | - Ingrid Bech Svalgaard
- Department of Epidemiology Research, Statens Serum Institut, 2300, Copenhagen S, Denmark
| | | | - Lampros Spiliopoulos
- Department of Epidemiology Research, Statens Serum Institut, 2300, Copenhagen S, Denmark
| | - Peter Bager
- Department of Epidemiology Research, Statens Serum Institut, 2300, Copenhagen S, Denmark
| | - Nete Munk Nielsen
- Department of Epidemiology Research, Statens Serum Institut, 2300, Copenhagen S, Denmark
- Focused Research Unit in Neurology, Department of Neurology, Hospital of Southern Jutland, University of Southern Denmark, 6200, Aabenraa, Denmark
| | - Jørgen Vinsløv Hansen
- Department of Epidemiology Research, Statens Serum Institut, 2300, Copenhagen S, Denmark
| | - Anders Koch
- Infectious Disease Epidemiology and Prevention, Statens Serum Institut, 2300, Copenhagen S, Denmark
- Department of Public Health, Global Health Section, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Rigshospitalet University Hospital, 2100, Copenhagen Ø, Denmark
| | - Steen Ethelberg
- Infectious Disease Epidemiology and Prevention, Statens Serum Institut, 2300, Copenhagen S, Denmark
- Department of Public Health, Global Health Section, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Anders Hviid
- Department of Epidemiology Research, Statens Serum Institut, 2300, Copenhagen S, Denmark
- Pharmacovigilance Research Center, Department of Drug Design and Pharmacology, University of Copenhagen, 2100, Copenhagen Ø, Denmark
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6
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Dagliati A, Strasser ZH, Hossein Abad ZS, Klann JG, Wagholikar KB, Mesa R, Visweswaran S, Morris M, Luo Y, Henderson DW, Samayamuthu MJ, Tan BW, Verdy G, Omenn GS, Xia Z, Bellazzi R, Murphy SN, Holmes JH, Estiri H. Characterization of long COVID temporal sub-phenotypes by distributed representation learning from electronic health record data: a cohort study. EClinicalMedicine 2023; 64:102210. [PMID: 37745021 PMCID: PMC10511779 DOI: 10.1016/j.eclinm.2023.102210] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2023] [Revised: 08/29/2023] [Accepted: 08/29/2023] [Indexed: 09/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Characterizing Post-Acute Sequelae of COVID (SARS-CoV-2 Infection), or PASC has been challenging due to the multitude of sub-phenotypes, temporal attributes, and definitions. Scalable characterization of PASC sub-phenotypes can enhance screening capacities, disease management, and treatment planning. Methods We conducted a retrospective multi-centre observational cohort study, leveraging longitudinal electronic health record (EHR) data of 30,422 patients from three healthcare systems in the Consortium for the Clinical Characterization of COVID-19 by EHR (4CE). From the total cohort, we applied a deductive approach on 12,424 individuals with follow-up data and developed a distributed representation learning process for providing augmented definitions for PASC sub-phenotypes. Findings Our framework characterized seven PASC sub-phenotypes. We estimated that on average 15.7% of the hospitalized COVID-19 patients were likely to suffer from at least one PASC symptom and almost 5.98%, on average, had multiple symptoms. Joint pain and dyspnea had the highest prevalence, with an average prevalence of 5.45% and 4.53%, respectively. Interpretation We provided a scalable framework to every participating healthcare system for estimating PASC sub-phenotypes prevalence and temporal attributes, thus developing a unified model that characterizes augmented sub-phenotypes across the different systems. Funding Authors are supported by National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institute on Aging, National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences, National Medical Research Council, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, European Union, National Institutes of Health, National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arianna Dagliati
- Department of Electrical Computer and Biomedical Engineering, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy
| | - Zachary H. Strasser
- Department of Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, United States
| | | | - Jeffrey G. Klann
- Department of Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, United States
| | | | - Rebecca Mesa
- Department of Electrical Computer and Biomedical Engineering, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy
| | - Shyam Visweswaran
- Department of Biomedical Informatics, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, United States
| | - Michele Morris
- Department of Biomedical Informatics, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, United States
| | - Yuan Luo
- Department of Preventive Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, United States
| | - Darren W. Henderson
- University of Kentucky, Center for Clinical and Translational Science, Lexington, United States
| | | | - Bryce W.Q. Tan
- National University Hospital, Singapore Department of Medicine, Singapore
| | - Guillame Verdy
- Bordeaux University Hospital, IAM Unit, Bordeaux, France
| | - Gilbert S. Omenn
- University of Michigan, Department of Computational Medicine and Bioinformatics, Internal Medicine, Human Genetics, and School of Public Health, Ann Arbor, United States
| | - Zongqi Xia
- University of Pittsburgh Department of Neurology, Pittsburgh, United States
| | - Riccardo Bellazzi
- Department of Electrical Computer and Biomedical Engineering, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy
| | - Shawn N. Murphy
- Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, United States
| | - John H. Holmes
- University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Department of Biostatistics, Epidemiology, and Informatics, Institute for Biomedical Informatics, Philadelphia, United States
| | - Hossein Estiri
- Department of Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, United States
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Ambalavanan R, Snead RS, Marczika J, Kozinsky K, Aman E. Advancing the Management of Long COVID by Integrating into Health Informatics Domain: Current and Future Perspectives. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2023; 20:6836. [PMID: 37835106 PMCID: PMC10572294 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph20196836] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2023] [Revised: 09/20/2023] [Accepted: 09/22/2023] [Indexed: 10/15/2023]
Abstract
The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has profoundly affected millions of lives globally, with some individuals experiencing persistent symptoms even after recovering. Understanding and managing the long-term sequelae of COVID-19 is crucial for research, prevention, and control. To effectively monitor the health of those affected, maintaining up-to-date health records is essential, and digital health informatics apps for surveillance play a pivotal role. In this review, we overview the existing literature on identifying and characterizing long COVID manifestations through hierarchical classification based on Human Phenotype Ontology (HPO). We outline the aspects of the National COVID Cohort Collaborative (N3C) and Researching COVID to Enhance Recovery (RECOVER) initiative in artificial intelligence (AI) to identify long COVID. Through knowledge exploration, we present a concept map of clinical pathways for long COVID, which offers insights into the data required and explores innovative frameworks for health informatics apps for tackling the long-term effects of COVID-19. This study achieves two main objectives by comprehensively reviewing long COVID identification and characterization techniques, making it the first paper to explore incorporating long COVID as a variable risk factor within a digital health informatics application. By achieving these objectives, it provides valuable insights on long COVID's challenges and impact on public health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Radha Ambalavanan
- The Self Research Institute, Broken Arrow, OK 74011, USA; (R.S.S.); (J.M.); (K.K.); (E.A.)
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Salvucci F, Codella R, Coppola A, Zacchei I, Grassi G, Anti ML, Nitisoara N, Luzi L, Gazzaruso C. Antihistamines improve cardiovascular manifestations and other symptoms of long-COVID attributed to mast cell activation. Front Cardiovasc Med 2023; 10:1202696. [PMID: 37529714 PMCID: PMC10388239 DOI: 10.3389/fcvm.2023.1202696] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/09/2023] [Accepted: 07/06/2023] [Indexed: 08/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction Long-COVID is a broadly defined condition and there are no effective therapies. Cardiovascular manifestations of long-COVID include high heart rate, postural tachycardia, and palpitations. Previous studies have suggested that mast cell activation (MCA) may play a role in the pathophysiology of long-COVID, including in the mechanisms of its cardiovascular manifestations. The present study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of a treatment with blockers of histamine receptors in patients with long-COVID who did not respond to other therapies. Methods In all, 14 patients (F/M = 9/5; 49.5 ± 11.5 years) and 13 controls (F/M = 8/5; 47.3 ± 8.0 years) with long-COVID symptoms attributed to MCA were evaluated. Patients were treated with fexofenadine (180 mg/day) and famotidine (40 mg/day). Fatigue, brain fog, abdominal disorders, and increased heart rate were evaluated in treated and untreated patients at baseline and 20 days later. Results Long-COVID symptoms disappeared completely in 29% of treated patients. There was a significant improvement in each of the considered symptoms (improved or disappeared) in all treated patients, and the improvement grade was significantly greater in treated patients compared to controls. No significant differences in the outcomes were observed in the controls. Conclusions Our data confirm that histamine receptors blockade may be an effective target to successfully treat long-COVID. Our finding supports the underlying role of MCA in the pathophysiology of long-COVID.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fabrizio Salvucci
- Internal Medicine, Clinica Santa Rita del Gruppo Policlinico di Monza, Vercelli, Italy
| | - Roberto Codella
- Department of Biomedical Sciences for Health, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
| | - Adriana Coppola
- Centre for Applied Clinical Research (Ce.R.C.A.), Istituto Clinico Beato Matteo, Vigevano, Italy
| | - Irene Zacchei
- Cardiovascular and Metabolic Department, Ticinello Cardiovascular and Metabolic Centre, Pavia, Italy
| | - Gabriella Grassi
- Cardiovascular and Metabolic Department, Ticinello Cardiovascular and Metabolic Centre, Pavia, Italy
| | - Maria Luisa Anti
- Cardiovascular and Metabolic Department, Ticinello Cardiovascular and Metabolic Centre, Pavia, Italy
| | - Nicolita Nitisoara
- Internal Medicine, Clinica Santa Rita del Gruppo Policlinico di Monza, Vercelli, Italy
| | - Livio Luzi
- Department of Biomedical Sciences for Health, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
- Department of Endocrinology, IRCCS Multimedica, Milan, Italy
| | - Carmine Gazzaruso
- Department of Biomedical Sciences for Health, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
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Protective effect of COVID-19 vaccination against long COVID syndrome: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Vaccine 2023; 41:1783-1790. [PMID: 36774332 PMCID: PMC9905096 DOI: 10.1016/j.vaccine.2023.02.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 94] [Impact Index Per Article: 94.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2022] [Revised: 01/04/2023] [Accepted: 02/03/2023] [Indexed: 02/11/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The relationship between coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccination and long COVID has not been firmly established. We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to evaluate the association between COVID-19 vaccination and long COVID. METHODS PubMed and EMBASE databases were searched on September 2022 without language restrictions (CRD42022360399) to identify prospective trials and observational studies comparing patients with and without vaccination before severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection. We also included studies reporting symptomatic changes of ongoing long COVID following vaccination among those with a history of SARS-CoV-2 infection. Odds ratios (ORs) for each outcome were synthesized using a random-effects model. Symptomatic changes after vaccination were synthesized by a one-group meta-analysis. RESULTS Six observational studies involving 536,291 unvaccinated and 84,603 vaccinated (before SARS-CoV-2 infection) patients (mean age, 41.2-66.6; female, 9.0-67.3%) and six observational studies involving 8,199 long COVID patients (mean age, 40.0 to 53.5; female, 22.2-85.9%) who received vaccination after SARS-CoV-2 infection were included. Two-dose vaccination was associated with a lower risk of long COVID compared to no vaccination (OR, 0.64; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.45-0.92) and one-dose vaccination (OR, 0.60; 95% CI, 0.43-0.83). Two-dose vaccination compared to no vaccination was associated with a lower risk of persistent fatigue (OR, 0.62; 95% CI, 0.41-0.93) and pulmonary disorder (OR, 0.50; 95% CI, 0.47-0.52). Among those with ongoing long COVID symptoms, 54.4% (95% CI, 34.3-73.1%) did not report symptomatic changes following vaccination, while 20.3% (95% CI, 8.1-42.4%) experienced symptomatic improvement after two weeks to six months of COVID-19 vaccination. CONCLUSIONS COVID-19 vaccination before SARS-CoV-2 infection was associated with a lower risk of long COVID, while most of those with ongoing long COVID did not experience symptomatic changes following vaccination.
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