Papers/Studies - 2022 & 2021

This section provides links to resources that have been externally developed.

Long COVID is an evolving field of research and not all resources have been peer reviewed. Members are encouraged to critically review all external sources.

The Working Group notes that some information appearing in the literature is inconsistent and, at times, conflicting. For instance, there is a substantial degree of variation in the estimates of the scale of long COVID. This is, in part, a result of differing definitions, dominant strains, degree of vaccination, sample size, study population, and study methodology/quality (e.g., self-reporting, testing methodology for underlying COVID-19 infections, use of a control group).

Actuaries are encouraged to think critically about the assumptions underlying the material they are reading and producing.

To assist members with navigating the below studies, the Working Group has tagged several keywords against each study. These include:

• Overview: Provides an overview across various topics, e.g., definition, symptoms, prevalence, etc.
• Australian focus: Places an emphasis on experience within/implications for Australia.
• Symptoms: Describes the symptoms caused by long COVID.
• Prevalence: Provides estimates of the prevalence of long COVID.
• Severity: Considers the severity of long COVID symptoms.
• Prognosis: Considers morbidity outcomes for individuals with long COVID over time (e.g., 1-2 years after initial infection).
• Economic impact: Considers the costs of long COVID, either to an individual, an insurer, and/or the economy.
• Lived experience: Describes the experience of individuals living with long COVID.
• Study quality: Discuss difficulties in interpreting/applying study results.

2022 Resources

• Long COVID in Australia – a review of the literature: Broad overview and literature review by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, covering background, prevalence, determinants, co-morbidities, and impact of long-COVID, with a focus on Australian experience.
• Comparison of Long COVID-19 caused by different SARS-CoV-2 Strains - A systematic review and meta-analysis: Study of international data sets to understand whether Long COVID symptoms are more prevalent with certain COVID-19 strains/variants
• Exploring new insights and strategies for long COVID - EU-US Conference on long COVID: Report from the EU-US Conference on long COVID.
• Estimating the Current Scale and Impact of Long COVID in Australia: Study modelling the prevalence and severity of Long COVID in Australia using a stock and flow model
• Acute and postacute sequelae associated with SARS-CoV-2 reinfection: Study of the relative risks of various conditions as a result of long COVID over 2 years.
• Long COVID and its management: Qualitative review providing a summary of the general background of long COVID, risk factors, diagnostic indicators and management strategies.
• Long-term cardiovascular outcomes of COVID-19 : Study focused on the impact of long COVID on various cardiovascular conditions.

2021 Resources

• Whole of population-based cohort study of recovery time from COVID-19 in New South Wales Australia: Study of the prevalence of long COVID in Australia during the early stages of the pandemic when COVID-19 cases were relatively contained and accurately tracked.
• Assessment of the frequency and variety of persistent symptoms among patients with COVID-19 - A systematic review:  Review of studies estimating the prevalence of persistent symptoms 30-60 days after an initial COVID-19 infection.
• Long COVID: An overview: Overview of available evidence including pathophysiology, symptoms and management, prepared in 2021.

Disclaimer

 Information from the Long COVID Working Group is intended for discussion purposes only and does not constitute consulting advice on which to base decisions. The members of the Working Group are not medical professionals, public health specialists or epidemiologists.

External resources have been provided for informational purposes only and have not been independently reviewed by the Working Group for their accuracy. The Working Group does not warrant the accuracy or completeness of the above information.

Information provided reflects the views of the authors and does not necessarily reflect the views of the Working Group or the Actuaries Institute.

Long COVID is an evolving field of research, and new research is being produced that may not yet be reflected on this page.