First state-level look at long COVID reveals the seven hardest-hit states

[DBoon]

Over four years after SARS-CoV-2's debut, researchers still struggle to understand long COVID, including the ostensibly simple question of how many people have it. Estimates for its prevalence vary widely, based on different study methods and definitions of the condition. Now, for the first time, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has attempted to estimate its prevalence among adults in each US state and territory. The results again show a wide range of prevalence estimates while revealing the states that were hardest hit as well as those that seem relatively spared.

Overall, the CDC found that seven states in the South, West, and Midwest had the highest prevalence of long COVID in the country, between 8.9 percent and 10.6 percent: Alabama, Montana, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Wyoming, and, the state with the highest prevalence of 10.6 percent, West Virginia. The results are published today in the CDC's Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.

On the other end of the spectrum, New England states, Washington, and Oregon had lower prevalence rates, between 3.7 percent and 5.3 percent. The lowest rate was seen in the US Virgin Islands with 1.9 percent. Washington, DC, and Guam had ranges between 1.9 percent and 3.6 percent.

https://arstechnica.com/science/2024/02/first-state-level-look-at-long-covid-reveals-the-seven-hardest-hit-states/

[SarcasticSatyr]

1. I wish this study had included vaccination status . . . .

it might have been enlightening ...

[Bernardo de La Paz]

3. Correlation with obesity? Smoking tobacco?

[Johnny2X2X]

5. Probably not even necessary

We've known that people who were vaccinated were less likely to get long Covid than the unvaccinated for a long time now. I suspect the states that got hit the worst are the states with the lowest vaccination rates.

[machoneman]

2. Not surprised at WV: highest rate of MAGAT home-school brats married to 1st cousins!

[AllaN01Bear]

4. deep red states .

[617Blue]

6. Blood red.

[Prairie Gates]

7. Low vaccination, poor health, especially among 45+ year olds

Shocking.

[erronis]

11. Co-morbidities are common when people don't/can't take care of themselves

The same people who may not want to get vaccinated are more likely to have other health issues (including mental.)

[RainCaster]

8. I've had all the vaccines, and I have long COVID

I live in WA, BTW. The worst thing for me is the loss of certain smells; bacon, garlic, flowers, citrus.

[jayschool2013]

10. Please be well

I hope it ends soon for you.

Be well.

[RainCaster]

12. I hope this ends soon

I miss the smells of food and flowers.

[XanaDUer2]

15. I think I regained most smell and taste

Sometimes I feel something is too bland and I wonder if its that I caught COVID in Aug 2022. Drives me crazy and makes me mad

[Bernardo de La Paz]

9. Not clear in the article -- is this percentage of those getting Covid or population?

To some extent they would be similar given the high rates of Covid illness. But I'm not sure rates of basic Covid infection would account for such large percentages in the population, so I think it must be percent of those infected or those who became symptomatic. If it was 10.6 % of population in some states, that would be headline news for months. Ten or even 5 percent would be a huge blow to economics of a state.

[erronis]

13. I'm inferring it is measured as a percentage of the population that actually had COVID_19.

However the numbers seem very fuzzy since there is a lot of self-selection here.

The estimates are based on survey responses from a national surveillance system in 2022. The survey didn't capture some notable data, including whether people had treatment during the acute phase of their COVID-19 infection, how long it had been since their infection, the ultimate length of their long COVID (if not ongoing), and vaccination status. Vaccination data was only available from a subset of people who took the survey and isn't included in the report.

[moniss]

19. I wondered the same thing and

also if they were looking at only confirmed cases of Covid and if so how might the numbers change if we look at those who got Covid but didn't get diagnosed but now suffer from Long Covid symptoms. I know there are estimates I've seen for cases of initial infection not officially diagnosed. I think most of that was based on modeling. I don't know if their percentage of development of Long Covid can be inferred or not. One reason may be the variance in severity of Covid infection/medication intake etc. and development of Long Covid. We just may not know some of those things well enough to model or infer that kind of a case with any meaningful results.

My guess would be they used confirmed cases of initial infection and then subsequent Long Covid symptoms. That would be, at this juncture I think, the most reliable criteria for establishing the study groups etc.

[WestMichRad]

20. Percentage of "non-institutionalized" adults who have long covid

So, as percentage of US adult population.

By now, the vast majority of people have had at least one Covid infection. There are not too many of us left who have escaped it so far.

[Initech]

16. Didn't even have to click to know they were red states.

[Mad_Machine76]

17. Freedom Virus!

[Mad_Machine76]

18. Freedom Virus!!!