Systematic review of post-COVID condition in Nordic population-based registry studies
(2025) In Nature Communications 16(1).- Abstract
The long-term effects of COVID-19, known as post-COVID condition (PCC), are still not fully understood. This systematic review synthesizes findings from Nordic registry studies to highlight long-term outcomes after COVID-19 infection. Twenty-two studies, primarily reflecting the pre-omicron and early vaccination phases, reveal increased primary care use for respiratory issues and fatigue in the sub-acute and chronic phases, with PCC incidence estimated below 2% in the general population. Most individuals returned to work within three months post-infection, and the risk of new neurological or mental disorders did not exceed that in patients with other infections. The review demonstrates the value of high-quality Nordic health registries... (More)
The long-term effects of COVID-19, known as post-COVID condition (PCC), are still not fully understood. This systematic review synthesizes findings from Nordic registry studies to highlight long-term outcomes after COVID-19 infection. Twenty-two studies, primarily reflecting the pre-omicron and early vaccination phases, reveal increased primary care use for respiratory issues and fatigue in the sub-acute and chronic phases, with PCC incidence estimated below 2% in the general population. Most individuals returned to work within three months post-infection, and the risk of new neurological or mental disorders did not exceed that in patients with other infections. The review demonstrates the value of high-quality Nordic health registries in capturing reliable, population-wide data, though generalizability may be limited to similar healthcare systems. Findings suggest the need for targeted follow-up in patients with severe COVID-19, particularly those requiring intensive care, to manage potential new-onset diseases and guide resource allocation in the pandemic’s endemic phase.
(Less)
- author
- Himmels, Jan Peter William ; Magnusson, Karin LU and Brurberg, Kjetil Gundro
- organization
- publishing date
- 2025-12
- type
- Contribution to journal
- publication status
- published
- subject
- in
- Nature Communications
- volume
- 16
- issue
- 1
- article number
- 5717
- publisher
- Nature Publishing Group
- external identifiers
-
- pmid:40592834
- scopus:105010137307
- ISSN
- 2041-1723
- DOI
- 10.1038/s41467-025-60784-4
- language
- English
- LU publication?
- yes
- id
- 4f37edf5-d571-4b69-be51-4ba5be4c6bcd
- date added to LUP
- 2025-10-23 11:40:26
- date last changed
- 2025-10-24 03:00:02
@article{4f37edf5-d571-4b69-be51-4ba5be4c6bcd,
abstract = {{<p>The long-term effects of COVID-19, known as post-COVID condition (PCC), are still not fully understood. This systematic review synthesizes findings from Nordic registry studies to highlight long-term outcomes after COVID-19 infection. Twenty-two studies, primarily reflecting the pre-omicron and early vaccination phases, reveal increased primary care use for respiratory issues and fatigue in the sub-acute and chronic phases, with PCC incidence estimated below 2% in the general population. Most individuals returned to work within three months post-infection, and the risk of new neurological or mental disorders did not exceed that in patients with other infections. The review demonstrates the value of high-quality Nordic health registries in capturing reliable, population-wide data, though generalizability may be limited to similar healthcare systems. Findings suggest the need for targeted follow-up in patients with severe COVID-19, particularly those requiring intensive care, to manage potential new-onset diseases and guide resource allocation in the pandemic’s endemic phase.</p>}},
author = {{Himmels, Jan Peter William and Magnusson, Karin and Brurberg, Kjetil Gundro}},
issn = {{2041-1723}},
language = {{eng}},
number = {{1}},
publisher = {{Nature Publishing Group}},
series = {{Nature Communications}},
title = {{Systematic review of post-COVID condition in Nordic population-based registry studies}},
url = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-60784-4}},
doi = {{10.1038/s41467-025-60784-4}},
volume = {{16}},
year = {{2025}},
}