One-year post-acute COVID-19 syndrome and mortality in South Korea: a nationwide matched cohort study using claims data

• Published in: Frontiers in public health 2024-07, Vol.12, p.1403153
• Main Authors: Won, Jung-Hyun, Hong, Yesol, Kim, Siun, Lee, Howard
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adult; Aged; cohort studies; COVID-19; COVID-19 - epidemiology; COVID-19 - mortality; Female; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; mortality; Mortality - trends; Post-Acute COVID-19 Syndrome; post-acute sequelae of COVID-19; Propensity Score; Public Health; Republic of Korea - epidemiology; Retrospective Studies; SARS-CoV-2; South Korea
• ISSN: 2296-2565; 2296-2565
• DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2024.1403153

Current understanding of post-COVID-19 syndrome in South Korea is primarily based on survey studies or research targeting specific patient groups, such as those hospitalized. Moreover, the majority of relevant studies have been conducted in European and North American populations, which may limit their applicability to the South Korean context. To address this gap, our study explores the one-year outcomes of COVID-19, focusing on the potential post-acute syndrome and all-cause mortality in South Korea. This retrospective cohort study used nationwide claims data in South Korea, including adults aged >18 with records between January 20, 2020, and February 25, 2021. Patients were classified into COVID-19 and non-COVID-19 groups and matched 1:1 based on propensity scores. Primary outcomes were 12-month post-acute COVID-19 syndrome and all-cause mortality. The study involved 34,802 matched patients. The COVID-19 group had significantly elevated risks of coagulopathies (OR = 2.70 [2.24, 3.28];