Prevalence and Risk Factors for Persistent Post‐COVID‐19 Condition at 3, 6, 12, and 18 Months After Initial Infection Among Adults Living in a Community of Japan: Yao COVID‐19 Study

The risk factors for long-term persistent post-coronavirus disease (COVID-19) condition (PCC) years after infection remain unclear. In this study, we investigated the prevalence of PCC and the associated risk factors after severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 infection in the general population. This prospective cohort study included individuals aged 18-79 years diagnosed with COVID-19 between March 2021 and April 2022 and matched non-infected individuals living in Yao City, Japan. Baseline and follow-up surveys were conducted in 2022 and 2024, respectively. PCC was defined as symptoms persisting for ≥2 months at 3 months post-infection. Among 7404 eligible individuals, 3628 (2314 infected, mean age: 44.2 years, 62.7% females; 1314 non-infected, mean age: 45.0 years, 63.2% females) participated in the follow-up survey. PCC prevalence at 3, 6, 12, and 18 months was 14.3%, 12.0%, 6.3%, and 5.4%, respectively. Older age, being overweight, comorbidities, severe disease in the acute phase, and low household income were associated with persistent PCC at ≥ 18 months. Compared with no vaccination, ≥ 2 doses of the COVID-19 vaccine prior to infection were associated with a lower PCC risk. These findings highlight PCC as an important public health concern in the post-COVID-19 era. Trial Registration: UMIN000049807.