Association between pre-existing chronic conditions and severity of first SARS-CoV-2 infection symptoms among adults living in Canada: a population-based survey analysis from January 2020 to August 2022

Simple item page
dc.contributor.authorCheta, Nicholas
dc.contributor.authorZakaria, Dianne
dc.contributor.authorDemers, Alain
dc.contributor.authorAbdullah, Peri
dc.contributor.authorAziz, Samina
dc.date.accessioned2025-04-04T17:48:27Z
dc.date.available2025-04-04T17:48:27Z
dc.date.issued2025-03-12
dc.date.updated2025-04-01T05:03:14Z
dc.description.abstractAbstract Background Individuals living with chronic conditions (CC) typically have a higher risk of more severe outcomes when exposed to infection. Although many studies have investigated the relationship between CCs and COVID-19 severity, they are generally limited to clinical or hospitalized populations. There is a need to estimate the impact of pre-existing CCs on the severity of acute SARS-CoV-2 infection symptoms among the general population. Methods Data from the Canadian COVID-19 Antibody and Health Survey – Cycle 2, a population-based cross-sectional probability survey across 10 provinces capturing the COVID-19 experiences of respondents from January 2020 to August 2022, were used to assess whether pre-existing CCs increased the odds of more severe self-reported infection symptoms among adults living in Canada. Multivariable regression modelling identified which CCs were independently associated with more severe infection symptoms after adjusting for sex, age at infection, and other significant covariates. Results Chronic lung disease (aOR = 1.64, 95% CI: 1.09, 2.46), high blood pressure (aOR = 1.35, 95% CI: 1.13, 1.62), weakened immune system (aOR = 1.46, 95% CI: 1.08, 1.98), chronic fatigue syndrome or fibromyalgia (aOR = 2.20, 95% CI: 1.39, 3.50), and arthritis (aOR = 1.28, 95% CI: 1.04, 1.56) were associated with a higher odds of more severe infection, whereas osteoporosis (aOR = 0.58, 95% CI: 0.39, 0.87) was associated with a lower odds. Limiting modelling to adults with confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infections affected some of the variables retained and adjusted associations. Conclusion Our findings contribute to a growing evidence base of associations between pre-existing CCs and adverse outcomes after SARS-CoV-2 infection. Identifying factors associated with more severe infection allows for more targeted prevention strategies and early interventions that can minimize the impact of infection.
dc.identifier.citationBMC Public Health. 2025 Mar 12;25(1):981
dc.identifier.doi10.1186/s12889-025-22041-7
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/1993/38984
dc.language.isoeng
dc.language.rfc3066en
dc.publisherBMC
dc.rights.holderCrown
dc.subjectchronic conditions
dc.subjectSARS-CoV-2
dc.subjectseverity
dc.subjectCOVID-19
dc.subjectCCAHS-2
dc.subjectmultivariable modeling
dc.subjectCanada
dc.subjectcross-sectional survey
dc.titleAssociation between pre-existing chronic conditions and severity of first SARS-CoV-2 infection symptoms among adults living in Canada: a population-based survey analysis from January 2020 to August 2022
dc.typeresearch article
local.author.affiliationRady Faculty of Health Sciences::Max Rady College of Medicine::Department of Community Health Sciences
oaire.citation.startPage981
oaire.citation.titleBMC Public Health
oaire.citation.volume25
Files
Original bundle
Now showing 1 - 1 of 1
Thumbnail Image
Name:
12889_2025_Article_22041.pdf
Size:
2.33 MB
Format:
Adobe Portable Document Format
Description:
Download
License bundle
Now showing 1 - 1 of 1
Thumbnail Image
Name:
license.txt
Size:
770 B
Format:
Item-specific license agreed to upon submission
Description:
Download
Collections
University of Manitoba Scholarship