Long COVID burden in healthcare workers: a 12-month survey of 771 cases

Long COVID syndrome represents a significant public health concern, with healthcare workers constituting a population at particularly high risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection and subsequent persistent symptoms. To evaluate the prevalence of Long COVID syndrome in healthcare employees of IRCCS Policlinico San Matteo Foundation over a four-year time window from the pandemic onset. An anonymous survey was conducted among healthcare workers with documented SARS-CoV-2 infection since February 2020. Long COVID syndrome was defined as persistent symptoms lasting beyond 12 weeks from the acute infection, extending to 12 months or more. The Fisher exact test and the McNemar test were used to compare prevalences between groups and over time, respectively. Unsupervised learning techniques were used for identifying patient aggregation. Among 771 respondents (response rate 41.41% of employees with previous SARS-CoV-2 infection), the overall Long COVID syndrome cumulative prevalence (participants experiencing symptoms at any time point) was 27.9% (215/771; 95% CI: 24.7–31.2%), with point prevalence decreasing over time: 26.0% (95% CI 23.0–29.0%) at 3 months, 20.0% (95% CI 17.0–23.0%) at 6 months, and 16.0% (95% CI 14.0–19.0%) at 12 months post-infection. Significant associations were found with job position ( p = 0.004), with nurses showing the highest prevalence (35.0%). Fatigue, joint and muscle pain, concentration troubles, and memory difficulties emerged as the most persistent symptoms over time. Long COVID syndrome affects more than one-quarter of healthcare workers with previous SARS-CoV-2 infection, with symptom persistence demonstrating a gradual decline over time. These findings have important implications for occupational health management and workforce planning in healthcare settings.