Persistent COVID‐19 Symptoms in General Population and Healthcare Workers: Systematic Review With Meta‐Analysis

Background and Aims COVID‐19 can cause persistent symptoms that continue after the infection, condition known as long COVID. This study aimed to identify the prevalence of persistent signs and symptoms of COVID‐19 in individuals with confirmed SARS‐CoV‐2 infection and among healthcare workers. Methods This is a systematic review with meta‐analysis guided by PRISMA and registered in PROSPERO (CRD42023460632). Cohort studies with a minimum follow‐up of 12 weeks after COVID‐19 infection were included. Searches were conducted in PubMed, Scopus, Embase, Scielo, and LILACS/BVS databases and gray literature, in November 2023. Rayyan was used for article selection, and pooled prevalence meta‐analysis for each symptom was conducted in R. Methodological quality was assessed using the Newcastle‐Ottawa Scale. Results A total of 2,456 studies were identified, with 59 articles included in the systematic review and 58 in the meta‐analysis, comprising 196,863 participants. The symptoms with the highest pooled prevalence (95% CI) were fatigue (0.29[0.24–0.36], 95% PI: 0.05–0.78) and dyspnea (0.16[0.12–0.22], 95% PI: 0.01–0.71). Conclusion Healthcare workers showed lower prevalence rates for some persistent symptoms (fatigue, dyspnea, cough, taste changes, and gastrointestinal symptoms) than the general population. Most studies were of fair quality. Despite the findings of a high prevalence of persistent symptoms, high heterogeneity remained a key limitation.