Evidence map›Paper›PMID 42041633›Full record

ArticleDiseases (Basel, Switzerland)2026

Persistent Symptoms After SARS-CoV-2 Infection in a Referred Occupational Clinical Registry: Symptom Patterns and Associated Factors.

Agnessa Kozak, Jana Wischnat, Corinna Rademacher, Andreas Gonschorek, Ingo Schmehl, Susann Seddigh, Andrea Fürst, Kai Wohlfarth, Lynn Engel, Jakob Wefers and 6 more

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Diseases (Basel, Switzerland), 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
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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

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

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

16 authors.

Agnessa KozakGerman Social Accident Insurance Institution for the Health and Welfare Services (BGW), D-22089 Hamburg, Germany.ORCID 0000-0003-4080-4524
Jana WischnatGerman Social Accident Insurance Institution for the Health and Welfare Services (BGW), D-22089 Hamburg, Germany.
Corinna RademacherDepartment of Neurology, BG Hospital Bergmannsheil, D-44789 Bochum, Germany.
Andreas GonschorekDepartment of Neurology, BG Hospital Hamburg, D-21033 Hamburg, Germany.ORCID 0009-0007-2881-4945
Ingo SchmehlDepartment of Neurology, BG Hospital Berlin, D-12683 Berlin, Germany.
Susann SeddighDepartment of Neurology, BG Hospital Duisburg, D-47249 Duisburg, Germany.
Andrea FürstDepartment of Neurology, BG Hospital Murnau, D-82418 Murnau, Germany.
Kai WohlfarthDepartment of Neurology, BG Hospital Bergmannstrost, D-06112 Halle, Germany.
Lynn EngelDepartment of Neurology, BG Hospital Bergmannsheil, D-44789 Bochum, Germany.
Jakob WefersDepartment of Neurology, BG Hospital Bergmannsheil, D-44789 Bochum, Germany.
Kerrin KobesCentre for Epidemiology and Health Services Research for Healthcare Professionals (CVcare), University Medical Centre Hamburg-Eppendorf (UKE), D-20246 Hamburg, Germany.ORCID 0009-0008-1628-7444
Olaf KleinmüllerCentre for Epidemiology and Health Services Research for Healthcare Professionals (CVcare), University Medical Centre Hamburg-Eppendorf (UKE), D-20246 Hamburg, Germany.
Majid EssaDepartment of Neurology, BG Hospital Bergmannstrost, D-06112 Halle, Germany.
Martin TegenthoffDepartment of Neurology, BG Hospital Bergmannsheil, D-44789 Bochum, Germany.
Albert NienhausGerman Social Accident Insurance Institution for the Health and Welfare Services (BGW), D-22089 Hamburg, Germany.ORCID 0000-0003-1881-7302
Peter SchwenkreisDepartment of Neurology, BG Hospital Bergmannsheil, D-44789 Bochum, Germany.

Funding

German Social Accident Insurance Institution for the Health and Welfare Services 1549
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

BACKGROUND/

objectivesPersistent symptoms following SARS-CoV-2 infection pose a substantial burden in occupational settings. This study aimed to characterize symptoms following work-related SARS-CoV-2 infection and to assess their associations with sociodemographic and clinical factors.

methodsData were obtained from a multicenter clinical registry of insured individuals referred for persistent symptoms 12 weeks after laboratory-confirmed work-related SARS-CoV-2 infection. Participants were assessed within a standardized post-COVID diagnostic program at six specialized clinics for occupational accident insurance in Germany. Persistent symptoms reported by ≥50% of participants were analyzed using generalized linear mixed models with random intercepts for center.

resultsA total of 1511 participants (76.7% women; median age 54 years) were included, with a median interval of 16 months between infection and assessment. On average, participants reported ten persistent symptoms. The most frequent complaints were limited physical capacity (95.6%), concentration difficulties (78.8%), dyspnea (70.5%), exhaustion/tiredness (68.9%), and memory difficulties (67.5%). Individuals reporting more than ten acute symptoms had increased odds of persistent complaints (ORs between 2.1 and 4.66). Hospitalization was independently associated with persistent dyspnea (OR 1.62; 95%CI 1.17-2.25). Reinfections were linked to exhaustion and cognitive fatigue. Compared with Omicron, wild-type infection was associated with higher odds of concentration difficulties (OR 1.65; 95%CI 1.17-2.33). Comorbidities demonstrated symptom-specific associations.

conclusionsAmong individuals with work-related SARS-CoV-2 infection, limited physical capacity and cognitive impairments were the most frequently reported symptoms, and higher acute symptom burden was strongly associated with the development of persistent symptoms. These findings support course-oriented evaluation and symptom-specific approaches in occupational disease assessment and management.

Indexed as

healthcare and welfare personnelhealth outcomesmulticenter studyoccupational diseasespersistent symptomsPost-COVID-Syndrome

Identifiers

PMID42041633
PMCPMC13114690

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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.