Evidence map›Paper›PMID 42709774›Full record

ArticlePloS one2026

Kinetics of the PASC Index in Long COVID.

Kyungsup Kwon, Choi Young Jang, Woori Kim, JuYeon Son, Euijin Chang, Sung-Han Kim

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in PloS one, 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
–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

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

6 authors.

Kyungsup KwonDepartment of Infectious Diseases, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
Choi Young JangDepartment of Infectious Diseases, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
Woori KimDepartment of Infectious Diseases, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
JuYeon SonDepartment of Infectious Diseases, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
Euijin ChangDepartment of Infectious Diseases, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
Sung-Han KimDepartment of Infectious Diseases, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6596-8253

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundThe post‑acute sequelae of SARS‑CoV‑2 infection (PASC, "Long COVID") remain difficult to evaluate because standardized diagnostic tools are limited. We applied the recently proposed PASC index (score ≥ 12) to describe the 12‑month trajectory of Long COVID symptoms.

methodsIn this prospective cohort, adults with laboratory‑confirmed COVID‑19 were consecutively enrolled from November 2022 to February 2025. Long COVID was defined by a PASC index of ≥12 across 12 symptom domains persisting for at least 30 days post-infection. Symptom questionnaires were completed at 1, 3, 6 and 12 months after infection.

resultsAmong 183 participants, 48 (26.2%) met Long COVID criteria. Symptom assessments indicated that the proportion of participants meeting the Long COVID threshold declined from 27% at 1 month to 18% at 12 months, although this change was not statistically significant (p = 0.16). Participants classified as having Long COVID had consistently higher PASC index values across follow-up, while pairwise within-person comparisons showed no significant temporal changes in either the Long COVID or non-Long COVID group. These findings suggest that the overall symptom burden remained relatively stable over time, despite fluctuations in threshold status.

conclusionDuring 12 months of follow-up, approximately one quarter of participants met the PASC index threshold at least once. Among participants with repeated assessments, PASC index scores showed limited within-person change, although differential non-response limits the interpretation of temporal prevalence estimates.

Indexed as

COVID-19AdultAgedFemaleHumansKineticsMaleMiddle AgedPost-Acute COVID-19 SyndromeProspective StudiesSARS-CoV-2Severity of Illness IndexSurveys and QuestionnairesSymptom Burden

Identifiers

PMID42709774
PMCPMC13552729

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.