Klein, Dorthe
Mayo Clinic
Department of Clinical Epidemiology and Medical Technology Assessment, Maastricht UMC+, Maastricht, The Netherlands.
Citations 1
Prevalence, pathophysiology, prediction and health-related quality of life of long COVID: study protocol of the longitudinal multiple cohort CORona Follow Up (CORFU) study
Ghossein‐Doha, Chahinda , Wintjens, Marieke S. J. N. , Janssen, Emma B N J , Klein, Dorthe O. , Heemskerk, Stella C M , Asselbergs, Folkert W. , Birnie, Erwin , Bonsel, Gouke J. , Bussel, Bas C. T. van , Cals, Jochen , Haagsma, Juanita A. , Hemmen, Bena , Kietselaer, Bas , Linschoten, Marijke , Santen, Susanne van, Vernooy, Kevin , Willems, Loes H. , Westerborg, Rosa, Warlé, Michiel C. , Klein, Dorthe , van Bussel, Bas C T , Cals, Jochen W L , van der Horst, Iwan C C , Kietselaer, Bastiaan L J H, van Kuijk, Sander M J , Kietselaer, Bas L J H , Cate, Hugo Ten , Klok, Frederikus Albertus , Kruif, Martijn D. de
BMJ Open | November 29, 2022 | Volume: 12 | Issue: 11 | Pages: e065142
Introduction The variety, time patterns and long-term prognosis of persistent COVID-19 symptoms (long COVID-19) in patients who suffered from mild to severe acute COVID-19 are incompletely understood. Cohort studies will be combined to describe the prevalence of long COVID-19 symptoms, and to explore the pathophysiological mechanisms and impact on health-related quality of life. A prediction model for long COVID-19 will be developed and internally validated to guide care in future patients. Methods and analysis Data from seven COVID-19 cohorts will be aggregated in the longitudinal multiple cohort CORona Follow Up (CORFU) study. CORFU includes Dutch patients who suffered from COVID-19 at home, were hospitalised without or with intensive care unit treatment, needed inpatient or outpatient rehabilitation and controls who did not suffer from COVID-19. Individual cohort study designs were aligned and follow-up has been synchronised. Cohort participants will be followed up for a maximum of 24 months after acute infection. Next to the clinical characteristics measured in individual cohorts, the CORFU questionnaire on long COVID-19 outcomes and determinants will be administered digitally at 3, 6, 12, 18 and 24 months after the infection. The primary outcome is the prevalence of long COVID-19 symptoms up to 2 years after acute infection. Secondary outcomes are health-related quality of life (eg, EQ-5D), physical functioning, and the prevalence of thromboembolic complications, respiratory complications, cardiovascular diseases and endothelial dysfunction. A prediction model and a patient platform prototype will be developed. Ethics and dissemination Approval was obtained from the medical research ethics committee of Maastricht University Medical Center+ and Maastricht University (METC 2021-2990) and local committees of the participating cohorts. The project is supported by ZonMW and EuroQol Research Foundation. Results will be published in open access peer-reviewed scientific journals and presented at (inter)national conferences. Trial registration number NCT05240742 .