Health consequences after Covid-19 infection: Are there persistent health impairments? An epidemiological study at the University Hospital of Essen

首先，仍然没有系统的观察和规模较小的研究表明，在医院接受治疗的新冠肺炎患者即使在出院后也会继续表现出新冠肺炎的典型症状，而且新的冠状病毒不仅可以在呼吸道和肺部检测到，而且还可以在咽部、心脏、肝脏、肾脏和大脑中检测到。也有证据表明，非典型肺炎冠状病毒2可能会对新冠肺炎感染者产生糖尿病的作用，并导致神经和精神损害。医学信息学、生物统计学和流行病学研究所因此申请了一个项目，目的是在不以住院患者为重点的广大患者群体中，澄清新冠肺炎感染是否与持续的健康问题有关。在这项研究中，阳性测试的人将与阴性测试的人和普通人群中的人进行比较，特别是在心理社会、认知、代谢、肺和心血管因素方面。在计划进行研究的时候，病毒检测应该至少在12个月前就已经进行了。这项研究的中心问题旨在确定这三个研究组在生活质量、认知表现、肺功能、糖尿病控制不佳和动脉粥样硬化亚因素的存在方面是否存在差异。调查变量的多样性确保了项目的跨学科定位。在埃森市区，到目前为止，大约1,000人的新冠肺炎检测呈阳性，另有7,000人检测呈阴性。与埃森市卫生局合作，将随机选择400名检测呈阳性和400名呈阴性的人参加本研究。第三个研究小组将从医学信息学、生物测量学和流行病学研究所已经在进行的Heinz Nixdorf多代人研究(MGS)中挑选出另外800人。申请者已经在埃森市大流行控制的背景下，对大约5500名埃森公民进行了研究。第一个结果是建立了一个分数，以确定哪些人的检测结果呈阳性的可能性增加。此外，申请者在进行流行病学实地研究方面有多年经验(例如Heinz-Nixdorf Recall Study(HNR)、1000 Brain研究、HNR多代人研究(MGS)和国家队列研究(Nako))。在计划的研究框架内，参与者将接受在医学信息学、生物测量学和流行病学研究所研究中心牢牢确立的检查方案。

First, still unsystematic observations and smaller studies suggest that Covid-19 patients treated in hospital continue to show symptoms typical of Covid-19 even after discharge, and that the new coronavirus can be detected not only in the airways and lungs, but also in the pharynx, heart, liver, kidney and brain. There is also evidence that SARS-CoV-2 could have a diabetogenic effect in people infected with covid-19 and cause neurological and psychiatric impairment.The Institute of Medical Informatics, Biometry and Epidemiology therefore applies for a project with the aim of clarifying whether a Covid-19 infection is associated with persistent health problems in a broad patient population which is not focused on hospitalized persons. In the study, positively tested persons are to be compared with negatively tested persons and persons from the general population, particularly with regard to psychosocial, cognitive, metabolic, pulmonary and cardiovascular factors. At the time of the planned study, the test for the virus should have been performed at least 12 months ago. The central questions of the study aim to determine whether the three study groups differ with regard to quality of life, cognitive performance, lung function, the presence of poorly controlled diabetes mellitus and the presence of subatherosclerotic factors. The diversity of the variables investigated ensures the interdisciplinary orientation of the project.In the Essen urban area, approximately 1000 people have so far been tested positive for Covid-19 and a further 7000 people negative. In cooperation with the Health Department of the City of Essen, 400 positive and 400 negative tested persons will be randomly selected and invited to participate in the present study. The third study group of 800 additional persons from the general population will be selected from the Heinz Nixdorf MultiGenerationsStudy (MGS) already underway at the Institute for Medical Informatics, Biometry and Epidemiology. The applicants have already carried out a study with around 5500 Essen citizens in the context of the pandemic control of the city of Essen. A first result was the establishment of a score to identify persons who have an increased probability of a positive test result. Furthermore, the applicants have many years of experience in conducting epidemiological field studies (e.g. Heinz-Nixdorf Recall Study (HNR), 1000 Brain Study, HNR MultiGenerationsStudy (MGS) and the National Cohort (NAKO)). Within the framework of the planned study, the participants will undergo an examination programme that is firmly established in the study centre of the Institute for Medical Informatics, Biometry and Epidemiology.