Presentation (CTI)

OBJECTIVES: This study evaluated the impact of COVID-19 infection on Health-Related Quality of Life (HRQoL) and Work Productivity and Impairment (WPAI) among US adults.
METHODS: Symptomatic US adults testing positive for SARS-CoV-2 at CVS Health were recruited starting 10/24/2024 (ongoing) (CT.gov: NCT05160636). Socio-demographics, clinical characteristics, and vaccination status were self-reported via an online survey. Patient-reported HRQoL and WPAI outcomes were assessed before infection via recall and at enrollment (Day 1) using validated instruments (EQ-5D-5L, WPAI-GH). Outcomes were summarized using descriptive statistics for each time point and compared across time points using a paired t-test.
RESULTS: One hundred eighteen patients with COVID-19 were included in the interim analysis. Mean (SD) age was 48.9 years (12.6), 76.3% were female, 67.0% at least one comorbidity, and 94 (79.7%) were employed at enrollment. Ninety-six (81.4%) participants were unvaccinated and 22 (18.6%) were vaccinated with 2024-2025 KP.2 BNT162b2 COVID-19 vaccine, with a mean (SD) time since vaccination of 71.0 (25.6) days. At the baseline period prior to infection, participants reported mean (SD) of EQ-Visual Analogue Scale (EQ-VAS) scores and Utility Index (UI) of 80.3 (25.7) and 0.90 (0.15), respectively. The EQ-VAS and UI scores dropped significantly at enrollment relative to baseline, with a mean change of -17.3 (p<0.001) in EQ-VAS and -0.12 (p<0.001) in UI. Compared with baseline, COVID-19 had a large impact on all WPAI-GH domains at enrollment: the mean change in work productivity time loss was 71.8% (p<0.001), mean change in absenteeism was 55.5% (p<0.001), and mean change in activity impairment was 51.5% (p<0.001).
CONCLUSIONS: COVID-19 infections are associated with substantial detriment to quality of life and work productivity. These interim data findings reaffirm the persistent burden of COVID-19 in post-pandemic outpatient settings.