Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40185364›Full record

ArticleChest2025

Investigating the Long-Term Effects of COVID-19 Infection on Health Care Utilization in Individuals With COPD.

Joseph S Munn, Peter C Austin, Clare L Atzema, Stacey J Butler, Candace D McNaughton, Xuesong Wang, Andrea S Gershon

Abstract read
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in Chest, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
3citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

3 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
  2. Article
  3. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

7 authors.

Joseph S MunnSunnybrook Research Institute, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, Toronto, ON, Canada; ICES, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada; Department of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.
Peter C AustinSunnybrook Research Institute, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, Toronto, ON, Canada; ICES, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada; Institute of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.
Clare L AtzemaSunnybrook Research Institute, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, Toronto, ON, Canada; ICES, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada; Department of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada; Institute of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.
Stacey J ButlerSunnybrook Research Institute, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, Toronto, ON, Canada; ICES, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada; Institute of Medical Science, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.
Candace D McNaughtonSunnybrook Research Institute, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, Toronto, ON, Canada; ICES, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada; Department of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada; Institute of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.
Xuesong WangICES, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.
Andrea S GershonSunnybrook Research Institute, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, Toronto, ON, Canada; ICES, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada; Department of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada; Institute of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada. Electronic address: andrea.gershon@sunnybrook.ca.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundIndividuals with COPD are at elevated risk of severe outcomes following COVID-19 infection. RESEARCH QUESTION: Does COVID-19 have a long-term impact on health care utilization (HCU) for individuals with COPD? STUDY DESIGN AND

methodsThis retrospective matched cohort study was conducted by using health administrative data from Ontario, Canada, between April 2020 and June 2022. Individuals with physician-diagnosed COPD who underwent COVID-19 polymerase chain reaction (PCR) testing were included. Patients positive and negative for COVID-19 were matched on age, sex, vaccination status, PCR test date, and a propensity score. Patients were followed up from the end of the acute infection period (12 weeks after PCR) until the study end date. Per-person per-year HCU rates were captured and compared. Analyses were stratified according to COVID-19 variant eras (wild-type/Alpha/Beta, Delta, and Omicron) and vaccination status (0, 1, 2, and ≥ 3).

resultsA total of 31,540 matched pairs were identified. Mean age was 66.4 years, and 49.9% were male. Individuals with positive COVID-19 test results had 9% higher HCU rates than those who tested negative (rate ratio [RR], 1.09; 95% CI, 1.067-1.127). Stratifying according to variant, wild-type/Alpha/Beta and Omicron variants had 16% (RR, 1.16; 95% CI, 1.119-1.22) and 5% (RR, 1.051; 95% CI, 1.01-1.092) higher HCU rates, respectively. Individuals with ≥ 3 vaccinations did not have elevated rates of HCU (RR, 1.03; 95% CI, 0.981-1.081) compared with those who tested negative.

interpretationIn this study, patients with COPD who were positive for COVID-19 had significantly greater long-term HCU usage. Although Omicron has been considered milder than previous variants, it was still associated with significantly elevated long-term HCU. Individuals with ≥ 3 vaccinations who tested positive for COVID-19 had HCU rates similar to those who tested negative, suggesting that vaccinations can reduce long-term HCU.

Indexed as

COVID-19Patient Acceptance of Health CarePulmonary Disease, Chronic ObstructiveAgedFemaleHumansMaleMiddle AgedOntarioRetrospective StudiesSARS-CoV-2clinical epidemiologyCOPDCOVID-19post-COVID-19 condition

Identifiers

PMID40185364
PMCPMC12489379

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.