RESEARCH LETTER
Rachel Liu-Galvin, MBChB; Frank A. Orlando, MD; Tamkeen Khan, PhD; Gregory D. Wozniak, PhD; Arch G. Mainous III, PhD
Corresponding Author: Rachel Liu-Galvin, MBCh; Department of Health Services Research, Management, and Policy in the College of Public Health and Health Professions, University of Florida
Email: rachel.galvin@ufl.edu
DOI: 10.3122/jabfm.2024.240367R1
Keywords: COVID-19, Health Policy, Long COVID, Workforce
Dates: Submitted: 10-08-2024; Revised: 12-05-2024; Accepted: 12-11-2024
Status: In production for ahead of print.
INTRODUCTION: There are concerns of post-acute sequelae of COVID-19, but the impact of long COVID on the US workforce is unclear.
METHODS: We analyzed the nationally representative 2022 Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS). Adult (aged 18 or above) full time workers were classified as those who had never had COVID-19, those who had COVID-19 without long COVID, and those who had long COVID. The number of days of work missed due to illness in 2022 was assessed in unadjusted negative binomial regressions and those adjusted for paid sick leave, age, sex, race and comorbidities.
RESULTS: Among 125,151,402 (weighted) adults, 42.9% never had COVID-19, 49.6% had COVID-19 without long COVID, and 7.5% had long COVID. Patients with long COVID missed more than 8 days of work in a year which was 171% higher than patients without COVID-19 and 62% higher than those who had COVID-19 without long COVID. After adjusting for potential confounding variables, patients who had COVID-19 without long COVID had a greater rate of missing work (IRR 1.75; 95% CI 1.51, 2.04) compared to those who did not have COVID-19. Long COVID patients had an even higher rate of missing work (IRR 2.21; 95% CI 1.79, 2.73) compared to those who did not have COVID-19.
DISCUSSION: Patients with long COVID have significantly more missed workdays, showing that long COVID does have an impact on the US workforce.