Prevalence of post-COVID symptoms across variants of concern and follow-up periods: A systematic review and meta-analysis

International Journal of Infectious Diseases 2026 Open access

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Authors: Eiron John Lugtu, Delfin Ynigo Pilapil IV, Mikhail Harvey Cabunoc, Joshua Lawrence Bautista, Francis Matthew Pleta, Jeremy Ace Ng, Farid Shahid, Timothy Hudson David Culasino Carandang, Giuseppe Lippi, Brandon Michael Henry, C. Fernandez-de-las-Penas, Kin Israel Notarte
DOI: 10.1016/j.ijid.2026.108522
Cited by: 3
References: 37

Abstract

OBJECTIVES: The interaction between SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern (VoC) and post-COVID symptom duration remains unexplored. This is the first study to evaluate post-COVID prevalence stratified by VoC and follow-up periods. METHODS: Six databases were searched (12/2019-12/2024) for studies of adults with laboratory-confirmed SARS-CoV-2 and symptoms lasting ≥3 months. Data were stratified by VoC (Alpha through Omicron) and follow-up (

Fields of Study & Subjects

Long-Term Effects of COVID-19 Pharmacological Receptor Mechanisms and Effects COVID-19 and Mental Health

Publication details

Journal / source
International Journal of Infectious Diseases
Publisher
Elsevier BV
Volume
166
Pages
108522–108522
Publication date
11 March 2026
Language
EN