Findings Associated with Prolonged COVID-19 Recovery among Boston Healthcare Workers

Objective This study aimed to evaluate the long-term, symptomatic recovery of healthcare workers from acute COVID-19 infections up to 3 years after the initial COVID-19 outbreak. Methods A cross-sectional study was performed among employees of a community-based healthcare system in Massachusetts who had a recorded positive COVID-19 test. Survey responses were collected between September 2022 and January 2023. The survey included validated questionnaires: WHOQOL-BREF, EQ-5D-5 L, DASS-21, FCV-19S, K6+, and the Insomnia Severity Index. We compared the long-COVID (ie, symptoms lasting >28 days) and non-long-COVID groups. Results Among the 280 respondents (15.2% response rate), those with long COVID (73.4%) reported significantly worse quality of life and greater levels of depression, anxiety, and stress metrics. However, no significant difference was found between the two groups' fear of COVID-19. Conclusions Targeted support for healthcare workers with prolonged symptoms after COVID-19 is warranted.