SARS-CoV-2 infection and risk of new chronic diseases: lessons from a longitudinal population-based study

David De Ridder Anshu Uppal, Serguei Rouzinov, Julien Lamour, María-Eugenia Zaballa, Hélène Baysson, Stéphane Joost, Silvia Stringhini, Idris Guessous and Mayssam Nehme for the Specchio-COVID19 study group.
SARS-CoV-2 Infection and the Risk of New Chronic Conditions: Insights from a Longitudinal Population-Based StudyInternational Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 26 January 2025, doi: 10.3390/ijerph22020166

Abstract

Background: The long-term effects of SARS-CoV-2 infections on the development of chronic diseases are still poorly understood, particularly in the general population.

Objectives: The primary objective was to assess the association between SARS-CoV-2 infections and new diagnoses of chronic disease. Two secondary objectives were also studied: to observe geographical differences in this association and to examine whether these infections aggravate existing chronic diseases.

Methods: Data from 8086 participants in the "Specchio-COVID-19" study, conducted in the canton of Geneva (Switzerland) between 2021 and 2023, were analysed. The researchers used statistical models taking into account various factors such as age, sex, socio-economic status and access to healthcare to examine the links between SARS-CoV-2 infections and the chronic diseases reported by the participants.

Results: People who had reported an SARS-CoV-2 infection were more likely to be diagnosed with a new chronic disease than those who had not been infected (risk multiplied by around 2.15). Significant geographical differences were found in this link between infection and new chronic diseases. Although a worsening of chronic diseases already present was initially observed in infected people, this association did not remain significant after more rigorous statistical adjustments.

Conclusions: These results show that SARS-CoV-2 infections can have long-term effects on health, by increasing the risk of developing chronic diseases. They underline the need for targeted approaches and appropriate public health strategies to address the long-term consequences of the pandemic.

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