HelpAdvisor recently released a new study revealing the prevalence of long COVID in the United States, based on the most recent available data from the U.S. Census Bureau Household Pulse Survey. The big takeaway is that almost 1 out of every 4 adults who have been diagnosed with or have tested positive for COVID-19 report that they also had long COVID symptoms—meaning that they had COVID-19 symptoms for three months or longer after a case of COVID-19. Here are some of the study's highlights:
24.4% of Americans ages 18 and over who have received a positive COVID-19 test or diagnosis have experienced symptoms of COVID-19 that persisted for three months or longer.
34% of adults in Oklahoma who had COVID-19 have experienced long COVID, the highest rate of any state population in the U.S.
Long COVID has affected two out of every five adults afflicted by COVID-19 in Los Angeles and Atlanta.
31% of those affected by long COVID report that the symptoms have reduced their ability to carry out daily activities.
Most people who come down with COVID-19 symptoms are back on their feet within a week or two. But a staggering 24% of U.S. adults who received a positive COVID-19 test or diagnosis report symptoms that lasted three months or longer.
Oklahoma had the highest rates, at 34.1%, followed by Montana (33.8%) Alabama (31.7%), Arkansas (30.8%), and North Dakota (30.6%). Click here to see the full list of long COVID rates in each state.
The report also includes long COVID rates in 14 major metropolitan areas. Dallas topped the list at 24.4%, followed by Detroit (26.6%), Atlanta (25.9%), Phoenix (25.8%), and Miami (25.2%). Click here to see the remaining areas.
Hawaii tops the charts in terms of how long COVID is affecting daily activities. The percentage of Hawaiian adults with long COVID symptoms that have reduced their ability to carry out daily activities is 50.8%. Hawaii is followed by Mississippi (44.6%), Oregon (41.5%), Georgia (39.2%), and Louisiana (37.9%). The national average is 31.1%. Click here to see the rest of the states.
The study also reported the percentages of adults with long COVID symptoms that have reduced their ability to carry out daily activities, in major metropolitan areas. Los Angeles tops that list, at 40.7%, followed by Atlanta (39.7%), San Francisco (38.8%), Detroit (33.4%), and Seattle (32.1%). See the full list here.
It's alarming that these rates are so high, and I appreciate the ongoing efforts of many in the long COVID community, including Chris Cuomo, to raise awareness of the growing issue.
The latest wastewater data from BioBot indicate that we are just coming out of the second biggest wave since the pandemic started, and reveal that after a brief recent dip, cases are rising again. Stay safe out there, folks!
Previously: "To be cavalier about getting repetitive COVID infections is really a huge mistake"
