Healthcare workers continue to experience lingering long COVID symptoms years after heavy exposure to SARS-CoV-2 during the pandemic, according to a new University of Iowa-led study published in the American Journal of Industrial Medicine.
Study Design and Methods
The study surveyed roughly 1,600 healthcare personnel who contracted COVID-19 between August 2022 and May 2024. Participants completed follow-up questionnaires at about three months and again at six months after their acute illness. Researchers defined persistent long COVID as reporting the same moderate or severe symptoms at both the three- and six-month checkpoints; a larger share reported at least one moderate or severe symptom at either time point.
Key Findings
Overall, nearly 20% of respondents with confirmed COVID-19 test results reported moderate or severe symptoms three months after infection, rising to 27.6% at six months. The proportion who reported the same moderate or severe symptoms at both time points was 11.3% — roughly one in nine healthcare workers in the sample.
Older age, female sex, and the presence of underlying health conditions were associated with higher odds of persistent symptoms. Contrary to the study team's initial hypothesis, recent COVID-19 vaccination showed no statistically significant association with persistent long COVID symptoms in this cohort.
Researchers wrote that the findings point to a "potential to place substantial burden on this essential workforce long after the initial infection."
Implications
At a time when many healthcare organizations are struggling to stabilize staffing and recruit new employees, persistent post-COVID illness among clinicians and support staff could complicate scheduling, retention, and patient care. The authors note that accommodations, reduced hours, modified schedules, or role changes may be necessary to support affected workers.
Context on Long COVID
There is not yet a universally agreed-upon definition of long COVID, but it is generally described as symptoms that recur or continue for months after initial infection. Common complaints include cognitive difficulties (often called brain fog), debilitating fatigue, shortness of breath, and muscle or joint pain.
The study adds to evidence that COVID-19's health effects can be long-lasting for a subset of patients — particularly among those who were on the front lines of the pandemic response.
