Evidence map›Paper›PMID 42414935›Full record

ArticleBMC infectious diseases2026

Differences in diagnostic coding in long COVID: sociodemographic and symptom interference factors.

Jasmine K Vickers, Emily B Levitan, Carrie R Howell, Aoyjai P Montgomery, Raymond Jones, Frances E Lund, Nathan Erdmann

Abstract read
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In one paragraph

Article in BMC infectious diseases, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

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1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

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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

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3 · Its place in the literature

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4 · The record

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5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

7 authors.

Jasmine K VickersDepartment of Nursing Research & Scholarship, School of Nursing, University of Alabama at Birmingham, 1720 2nd Ave. South, Magnolia Office Park - Plaza Building Suite #227, Birmingham, AL, 35294-1210, USA. JVickers0502@gmail.com.
Emily B LevitanDepartment of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, USA.
Carrie R HowellDepartment of General Internal Medicine and Population Science, Heersink School of Medicine, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, USA.
Aoyjai P MontgomeryDepartment of Family, Community, and Health Systems, School of Nursing, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, USA.
Raymond JonesDepartment of Medicine, Heersink School of Medicine, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, USA.
Frances E LundDepartment of Microbiology, Heersink School of Medicine, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, USA.
Nathan ErdmannDepartment of Medicine, Heersink School of Medicine, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, USA.

Funding

Tissue and organ specific human B cell immunity: Supplement - Metabolic Risk Factors and Inflammation in PASC DevelopmentU19AI142737 · NIAID · UNIVERSITY OF ALABAMA AT BIRMINGHAM · PI TECTOR, A JOSEPH · 2019 to 2023
$19.7M
Interdisciplinary Training in Pathobiology and Rehabilitation Medicine.T32HD071866 · NICHD · UNIVERSITY OF ALABAMA AT BIRMINGHAM · PI JAMES RIMMER, Anna E. Thalacker-Mercer · 2012 to 2026
$4.8M
NIAID NIH HHS U19 AI142737NICHD NIH HHS T32 HD071866NIH HHS 3U19AI142737-04S1NIH HHS T32HD071866
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

purposeWe aimed to test associations of participant-reported Long COVID symptom interference with life activities with Long COVID symptoms, presence of U09.9 Long COVID diagnosis code, demographics, and clinical factors. In a subgroup, we documented coding related to Long COVID and post-exertional malaise in the electronic medical record (EMR).

methodsUsing a cross-sectional analysis (n = 205) of participant data from a Long COVID survey, we tested associations with Chi-square, Fisher's exact, or Fisher-Freeman-Halton exact statistical tests and Independent Samples T-tests.

resultsParticipants were predominately female (67%) with a mean age of 50.9 years. Participants were White (50.0%), African American (47.5%), and Asian (2.5%); 1.5% reported Hispanic ethnicity. 41% of participants reported high Long COVID symptom interference with life activities. Participants who were older (p=.028), were female (p=.002), were obese (p=.049), had worse general health (p<.001), worse physical health (p<.001), had worse mental health (p<.001), and had U09.9 diagnosis (p<.001) were more likely to experience high symptom interference. Among participants with high symptom interference, there were no significant associations with U09.9 diagnosis code. EMR sub-analysis (n = 100) revealed that among participants that reported high symptom interference (n = 39), 64% (n = 25) had a code related to Long COVID.

conclusionAlthough we found discrepancies between self-reported measures and EMR coding, we did not find evidence of demographic biases in diagnosis among participants with high symptom interference. CLINICAL TRIAL NUMBER: Not applicable.

Indexed as

COVID-19AdultCross-Sectional StudiesElectronic Health RecordsFemaleHumansMaleMiddle AgedPost-Acute COVID-19 SyndromeSARS-CoV-2Sociodemographic FactorsSymptom BurdenInternational classification of diseasesMedical recordsPost-acute COVID-19 syndromePost-exertional malaiseSymptom burden

Identifiers

PMID42414935
PMCPMC13628862

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