<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?><xml><records><record><source-app name="Biblio" version="7.x">Drupal-Biblio</source-app><ref-type>17</ref-type><contributors><authors><author><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Pierre Smith</style></author><author><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Kristiaan Proesmans</style></author><author><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Dieter Van Cauteren</style></author><author><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Stefaan Demarest</style></author><author><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Sabine Drieskens</style></author><author><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Robby De Pauw</style></author><author><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Laura Cornelissen</style></author><author><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Karin De Ridder</style></author><author><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Rana Charafeddine</style></author></authors></contributors><titles><title><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Post COVID-19 condition and its physical, mental and social implications: protocol of a 2-year longitudinal cohort study in the Belgian adult population.</style></title><secondary-title><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Arch Public Health</style></secondary-title></titles><dates><year><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">2022</style></year><pub-dates><date><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">2022 Jun 04</style></date></pub-dates></dates><volume><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">80</style></volume><language><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">eng</style></language><abstract><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">&lt;p&gt;&lt;b&gt;BACKGROUND: &lt;/b&gt;Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, most research has focused on the pathophysiology and management of the acute symptoms of COVID-19, yet some people tend to experience symptoms beyond the acute phase of infection, that is, Post COVID-19 condition (PCC). However, evidence on the long-term health impacts of a COVID-19 infection are still scarce. The purpose of this paper is to describe the COVIMPACT study, which aims to set up a cohort of people who have been tested positive for COVID-19 and study the evolution of their physical, mental and social health over the medium (3&amp;nbsp;months) and long term (two years), and the factors associated with an (un)favorable evolution.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;&lt;b&gt;METHODS: &lt;/b&gt;COVIMPACT is a longitudinal cohort study organised over a two-years period between April 2021 and April 2023. The eligible population is all people aged 18&amp;nbsp;years and older, living in Belgium, with a recent COVID-19 infection and contacted by the health authorities for contact tracing. Two questionnaires are used: a baseline questionnaire that aims to assess the initial health status of the participants and their status during the acute phase of the illness, and a follow-up questionnaire that is sent every three months after participants enter into the cohort. A matched non-COVID-19 control group was also selected. As of November 1, 2021, 10,708 people completed the baseline questionnaire (5% of the eligible population) and the follow-up participation rate was 79%. In total, 48% of the cohort participants appeared to fit the proposed case definition of PCC (i.e. report at least one symptom related to their COVID-19 infection three months afterwards).&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;&lt;b&gt;DISCUSSION: &lt;/b&gt;This study was designed to provide timely information on the short and long term impact of a COVID-19 infection, to stakeholders such as policymakers, health practitioners and people with PCC. Although the follow-up participation rate was good (79%), the participation rate of the eligible population was low (5%). Compared to other studies, this study has a large sample, of non-hospitalised and hospitalised people, who will be followed over a long period of 3&amp;nbsp;months to two years post infection, and with a global approach to their health.&lt;/p&gt;
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