Post COVID-19 Condition in Healthcare Workers in Quebec: Frequency, progression, and risk factors

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This report presents the results of the epidemiological investigation conducted during the summer of 2023 among healthcare workers (HCWs) in Quebec, aimed at estimating the frequency of post COVID-19 condition (PCC), as well as its risk factors and the healthcare wanted and received. PCC is defined as the persistence of symptoms for at least 12 weeks following an acute COVID-19 episode.

Over three-quarters of HCWs reported having experienced at least one episode of COVID-19 between the start of the pandemic and summer 2023.

Among HCWs who reported having had COVID-19, around 15% experienced symptoms that persisted for 12 weeks or longer after the initial infection. At the time of the investigation, we estimate that 6% of all HCWs in Quebec were still experiencing PCC symptoms;
The cumulative risk increases with the number of infections, rising from 13% after one infection to 24% after two infections, and reaching 37% after three infections;
One-quarter of PCC cases with symptoms at the time of the investigation had only mild symptoms, 42% had at least one moderate symptom without severe symptoms, and one-third had at least one severe symptom;
The most common symptoms among PCC cases experiencing symptoms at the time of the investigation were fatigue (72%), shortness of breath (53%), concentration or memory problems (50% and 48%), and brain fog (44%);
PCC risk was higher among certain groups of HCWs: women; people aged 40 to 59 compared to older or younger individuals; HCWs with chronic respiratory disease, depressive disorders, or obesity; economically disadvantaged individuals; those belonging to certain racial/ethnic minorities; individuals who had had severe COVID-19 (hospitalized cases or outpatient cases with at least three severe symptoms); and those who had been infected early in the pandemic during the circulation of the ancestral SARS-CoV-2 strain;
Medical care was wanted by 67% of PCC cases but received by 48% of them, while rehabilitation and psychological follow-up services were wanted by one-third of cases, but received by only 12%;
The demand for medical care, rehabilitation and occupational therapy services, and psychological follow-up was two to three times higher among individuals with severe PCC symptoms compared to those with mild symptoms.